XC Vs Gravel Bikes | What’s The Difference? What's Faster?

[@gmbn]

What's your go-to bike? Share with us down below! 👇

[@tomassanesson902]

Scott 29 hybrid

[@YogiliciousP]

Whatever bike I have ATM! Althg MTB is more of a thrill!

[@VWsandMtnBikes]

I have a Fezzari Shafer gravel bike with two wheelsets, one for gravel/mixed terrain, and one for road/commutes. I have a Pivot Trail 429 for actual mountain bike rides. Why do you have to pick one OR the other? ;)

[@davekendall1338]

The Nukeproof Digger. Got the factory version last year with the dropper and can't get enough of it. It's about as close as you can get to a quiver killer. Roads, gravel, rocky/rooty single track...it does it all.

[@Paganiproductions84]

2X Orbea Alma one from 2018 and one from 2021 alu and carbon frame.

[@JimiAle]

I have both and love both. The XC bike is faster off road a lot more confidence inspiring. However the gravel bike tends to be more fun, choosing lines & bike control. Underbiking is where it at :-)

[@SimonBauer7]

for me the ultimate all round bike is a hardtail xc bike. enough suspension and wide enough tires to get you into trouble but not too much that it doesnt ride like crap on the road.

[@f.9344]

yeah, hardtail xc is the best allrounder. i slaped race king tire on mine and it makes a huge diference

[@gmbn]

Sounds like the ultimate bike, Simon! 👊

[@charliecook6909]

I'm a cross country hardtail bike lover , not much use for a gravel bike around where I live , but doesn't stop me wanting one 🤣

[@birkaster]

This Gravel vs MTB thing gets really tiring now, honestly, doesn't really matter as long as you have fun. And probably it's an unfair comparison, a gravel is just a usable road bike for regular people: more relaxed geometry and capable to handle crappy roads, you can put bags on it, etc. If you have only the money to buy one bike just for biking, than probably the best choice, you can use it on- and offroad, commute. If you fancy off-road a bit more, than probably the XC is a very good choice. On the other hand, let's just appreciate that Blake probably could do this with a unicycle, that guy has crazy bike handling skills.

[@dit4963]

I don't care that gravel bikes exist, for me it's only annoying that MTB companies and magazines are into gravel bikes. Why? (except there is profit to be made) Gravel bikes are way closer to road bikes, not MTB bikes.

[@sashaciochina1166]

@@dit4963 Because MTB with rigid forks aren't really available. So why would I want a rigid fork? Less maintenance hassle, and the ability to attach bags to it. I personally went from an Enduro MTB to a Gravel bike, and have to say while the gravel isn't as fun, it's in another league when it comes to practicality. I can say, hands down, if you have money for only one bike, gravel is the way to go.

[@dit4963]

@@sashaciochina1166 I don't know what "enduro" were you riding if you even compare enduro with gravel... Good luck riding EWS with a gravel bike. And I mean just finishing the race on the bike 😅 At most you can compare it with XC/downcountry, but with enduro or even trail makes no f sense.

[@sashaciochina1166]

@@dit4963 I'm not comparing them in terms of ride-style, I'm comparing them in terms of "your only bike". Majority of people don't have the budget/space for more than one bike. So, in that regard a gravel bike is versatile, and also, as someone who's run on a Canyon Torque a good deal, found that the Grizl handles off-road surprisingly well (as in, it will handle single-track too)

[@tsurutom]

I have exactly those, a hardtail XC and a gravel bike, love both, and use both for nearly the same things. They're so close together, and it all depends on the tyres you put on them. The gravel bike goes just that bit faster on flat surfaces and the XC bike can ride a bit bumpier off road stuff, but for me (and probably the average rider) there's like 90% overlap.

[@thecappy]

Same here. All though it’s fun to take the gravel bike on single track.

[@dangerfulmind]

Yeah, exactly, same here HT and gravel, same route with mix of everything and they're very close in overall speed, gravel makes up time on roads, makes you feel like you're faster off road than you are because I spend a lot of the time riding right on the limit of the bike and quite frankly... Scaring myself to death. 😜

[@bambamty]

I imagine there's an overlap over all of the off road cycling disciplines? With gravel at one end and downhill at the other. And as you move higher up the scale the bike is only really faster if it is handling terrain that the others can't!

[@gmbn]

That's right. There is a good overlap between the two bikes. Although, having both is always nice! 😉

[@bambamty]

Can't argue with that!

[@scossar]

Yeah, gravel bikes are great general purpose bikes, but really come into their own on logging roads. They're also a great way to get out onto single track if you don't have a car.

[@martintin250]

This I can agree with, I’m still however stuck with what to buy. A 29er XC, or a gravel bike…..

[@scossar]

@@martintin250 I've got an aggressive hard tail and a gravel bike. The hard tail is the most fun bike ever, but it's a bit of a slog riding it on pavement. If I could only have one, I'd choose the gravel bike. Maybe a 29er XC would be a good compromise.

[@Coerced]

@@martintin250 personally also got an aggressive 29 hardtail. I do ride a road bike as well but got used to mtb geo because of enduro racing. Now, the HT is the most versatile machine I have. Tires will change the ride plenty for me for it to be all-purpose

[@joelhenderson3723]

@@scossar I've got a pretty similar pair to yours, but I am considering getting rid of the gravel bike. I want to get a folding bike for commuting, and can't justify 3+ bikes. It might rule out group rides on the road/gravel, but it's a compromise I'm willing to make since road riding is a fitness thing for me, and mountain biking is where I have most of my fun.

[@user-fu9or4uk7t]

@@martintin250 not sure if you've bought yet but I had a gravel then an aggressive hardtail. Didn't get on with either for different reasons. Now have a xc hardtail and perfect compromise, with summer race tyres it's not much slower than my gravel bike on road. And can abuse it a bit more on trails and shite UK roads.

[@chrisridesbicycles]

Saalbach has changed a thing or two. GCN presenters falling in love with MTB, Blake on drop bars. This is wild. Both have their use. Neil, did you have to use the lockout lever on the Exie?

[@beigemaster]

The main reason I love my gravel bike is because I loved being able to go straight from my door wherever I want to go, so if (like me) you have at least 10 miles of road to access the good off-road stuff then it’s a game changer. No need to take the car or long slow miles on an XC bike on the tarmac. I guess if you’re limited to space and finance then the gravel bike is the ultimate utility bike- can ride mine with 48mm 650B wheels or 700cc with road slicks to do century rides.

[@gmbn]

That's a great reason to have a gravel bike! Blake has shown in some of our previous videos that gravel bikes can shred. They're also brilliant for the odd bit of road riding! 👍

[@liquidwombat]

A Friend recently got a 3T race/max, she runs 700 x 42 Soma Supple vitesse and has the most comfortable bike on the group road ride with no issues keeping up and runs a 27.5 x 2.4 Conti Cross King for a stupid amount of off road capability

[@amikamharamikamhar4870]

Just put your xc bike 50T chainring i think xc bike more capable than gravel bike

[@fulltang1]

​@@amikamharamikamhar4870the xc bike is still going to require more effort than a gravel bike on tarmac due to the geometry of the gravel bike putting you in a more aerodynamic position. Now, for the regular joe this may or may not matter, as long as you're honest with what action the bike will see.

[@DickSpencer1954]

Blake! You spinning machine!! GMBN needs to bring you back to the USA to run some gravel races. Unbound, Steamboat, Belgian Waffle. You would tear it up!!!

[@garethbingham8584]

Love this video...have both, albeit a more trail orientated MTB, but watching has reinforced why I gave up road riding for off-road...so much more fun!!!

[@YogiliciousP]

Love the head to head! Suggestion: when you pop up a view of where on the map one of them was, overlay the other’s in an alternate color. Now swap bikes and do the same race!

[@gordion1]

I have a cross bike which is nothing like a mountain bike thankfully. It is not about speed but enjoyment.

[@cliffsangelsphotography]

It's about time I see an Ibis on the channel

[@snowman22ism]

Wicked shot of Blake riding through the puddle... Love it... The video quality at GMBN is outstanding...

[@colinl2908]

Nice fire trails there. Ours are more sandy or rubble with heaps of potholes, so suspension is more a necessity.

[@elrictdb]

The road conditions where I stay almost require a full sus gravel bike. Road bikes just really suffer from big impacts and loose gravel on our main roads and that's before the rain starts.

[@Daividu]

Get a XC bike then🤷🏼‍♂️

[@elrictdb]

@@Daividu Wife says no :- (

[@Daividu]

@@elrictdb now that’s just sad my man😂

[@ChrisKim-eo9ku]

Blake's just out here riding Scandinavian rally roads, no wonder he had fun!

[@Desmond17]

Wait, what ?!? Blake is going with the gravel over the MTB ? I see the roadies at GCN (Hank especially) have started their shenanigans to bring Blaky boi to their side. Sneaky buggers...

[@SimonBauer7]

in a few years we will be seeing blake with lycra talking about ftp and things like that.

[@Desmond17]

@@SimonBauer7 well tbh, with his shaved gorilla physique, Blake is one of the few that can pull it off 😅

[@1paulbeth]

Mtb, road, gravel... why can't we all be friends?

[@rahuldasmajumder5121]

Exactly. I don't understand the hatred. I am just a bike lover. Love all the bikes.

[@gmbn]

🤗

[@raziel8321]

In my opinion, the cross bike is the clearly superior all-round bike. With comparable wheels and gears you can reach the same speed as the Gravel bike on the road. Only the air resistance is a real problem. But off-road and typical gravel and forest roads, a cross fully can drive much faster thanks to its suspension before you lose control. With the Cross I have fewer restrictions on where to go and it's perfect for exploring the surrounding area and areas with less than good roads.

[@Thefifaplayeryant]

This !

[@bergerniklas6647]

We need a GMBN vs GCN, but the Raody rides the MTB and vice verca. And they have to promote the bike they ride. Maybe a multi day adventure

[@thecappy]

Gmbn person would win.

[@markgeorge2200]

There is already a video like that

[@giselebch]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/rKeqm6eEdrqemdk

[@gmbn]

We've made a similar video, but we haven't swapped bikes properly yet! Sounds like a good video idea! 👍

[@lolbubs11111]

If only there was a way to get a wider gear range, smaller jumps in ratios, and a lower degree of cross-chaining. Perhaps by using two chainrings. 1x gravel bikes only make sense in Kansas.

[@paulw575]

Yep, my gravel bike is a 2x10, plenty of gears whether I am on flat roads or fire roads in the mountains.

[@1GayMTBr]

Should do XC vs “Down country” so people know the different between racing hard tails and trail bikes with xc tires for people that want a duel suspension for blues

[@naj114]

I own full sus trail bike with 2.6" tyres for red and black MTB routes, gravel bike with 40mm fast nobbly tyres for adventure riding and spare carbon deep rims with 30mm slick tyres for belting it on the road.

[@adrian_veidt]

I think Martyn said it. Gravel bikes are XC bikes with crappy geometry lmao

[@gmbn]

Haha! Possibly?! 🤷😂

[@danshilling4240]

Gravel bikes are just road bikes with a gritty tires on them used to do it as a kid all the time and nowadays they have to call them gravel bikes🙄 I like to say the gravel bikes have an identity crisis they don't know if they want to be a road bike or a mountain bike

[@captjerski4165]

Cant afford a gravel bike so I put a rigid fork and slightly skinny xc tires on my DJ bike now I have a gravelish bike that handles well on chattery rock section and can bunny hop too.

[@fulltang1]

Tbh gravel bikes what most regular people should be riding instead of race inspired road bikes

[@BordercityMTBer]

Neil. You need to get out around Kielder Forest or the Galloway Forest to try gravel riding. And there’s plenty of MTB in the areas to get both types of riding in. Another GMBN vs GCN challenge? 🤔

[@noakwesterberg]

Cool to see you coming out to Sweden! A harttail XC is my go to bike. Also have a gravel bike, but mainly use it for on road biking ironically...

[@MrSilvestre587]

In my own experience, ridind a gravel bike is a pain. XCM MTBs offer a good balance between reasonable weight, control and comfort. Indeed, I'm thinking in seling my Orbea Terra H30.

[@nicolaswilson5035]

Are you guys in my head? Or are you just that intuitive? With gas prices and the lack of local MTB trails, I’ve been looking into getting a gravel bike. I open up KZbin and bam here’s this video!

[@ilikewasabe]

Should have been a hardtail mtb vs a gravel bike in the same gravel trail. Slam the stem on the hardtail and slap on some gravel tire and narrowish handle bar and you get a do almost anything bike

[@Jacob99174]

Absolutely love Ibis!

[@cgriggsiv]

You guys definitely know how to have some good fun

[@armandblake]

Get a light hardtail, install a bigger chainring, 11/12 speed for range, lock forks and voilà! You’ve got a great all round bike

[@thegefster1988]

I think it is more fun taking a gravel bike on somewhat techy but not overly techy stuff. Neil could have easily won if he used a gravel bike on that type of terrain. I am not 1/10 of the rider these guys are and I take my gravel bike on much rougher stuff than that. Makes it challenging and fun! I love my xc bike too!

[@lostinature]

it's like comparing a Land Rover to a rallycar. My XC mtb will go anywhere, anytime all day long. Slow and fully customized for bikepacking it's as capabla as ever, but lovable and approachable to strangers as I ride. It's jolly, if anything. My gravelbike on the other hand, urges me to go fast over anything reasonably smooth be it tarmac or dirt. A different kind of fun that is.

[@sherab2078]

I loved the video! Perhaps because it wasn't about downhill-oriented mountain biking but more versatile, cross-country adventuring. When it goes to preferences - It all goes to where you live, and what type of rides you prefer or have available. I live in the lowlands. I don't have true MTB bike parks in the vicinity. I ride mostly for joy and the feel of adventure, not for performance so much. I rather stick to the tarmac but try to avoid most busy roads, which forces me sometimes to go by forest fire roads and gravel. Hence, I chose a gravel bike as my main machine (and since I'm rather low on budget, my only machine).

[@SpiritualSpeed]

I'm on a Giant TCR as my Road Bike and on a Trance X 150/135 as my offroad one. If it just had to be one Bike i think i'd take an XC Hardtail.

[@I_Am_Bone]

At 52 and just getting back into riding, I'm thinking suspension may not be as "required" as I once thought. I certainly won't be following Blake down A0Line, but is there a gravel bike with front forks w/LO you would recommend? The Canadian road system does have some gravelly surfaces here and there...... but also some fun double track.

[@BobAzarcon]

Neil's enjoying the view and the ride, Blake's enjoying his free lunch.😁

[@GrafRamolo]

If money is not an issue then light xc full is the weapon of choice. You can be fast on the road, gravel, or dirt and even do some jumps, or a bike packing trip. I have one and I would never change it for anything. Oh except for my downhill bike :P This is useless in all but one scenario. (picking chick in my flat as table town ) ;)

[@stevesnailfish]

I use both types as I ride MTB's and gravel/CX bikes....All good fun off-road but there is stuff around here (Peterborough UK) I don't tackle on drop bars. Having a Redshift suspension stem (20mm travel) and 45c tubeless tyres on the gravel bike does help through the rougher stuff though......

[@Cycling_Crazed_Fool]

So I’m the lover of the worlds best hardtail, the Nukeproof Scout. However I ride my gravel bike the most and I adore it. For those that say ‘it’s a road bike with nobbly tyres’ haven’t ridden one. They are epic and very capable. However N+1 so never sell the Scout.

[@von0Essen]

Damn that near where I live! Rocking a trail HT and looking to get a gravel next for mostly commuting. Have been riding road before but sold the road bike cause lack of interest to much traffic tbh. Gravel feels like the roadies get away from the traffic and a more relaxed style of riding getting away from all the rules of road riding.

[@andrewblakesley4202]

I own a gravel bike (mainly for bad B roads) but just bought an XC bike. I don't have Blake's talent for taking that gravel bike everywhere and am getting too old to rattle myself to pieces.

[@yesyoucanTellme]

GMBN and GCN uploaded at the same time

[@dashling6721]

Nice

[@gmbn]

Copying us! 😣😂

[@AmvC]

great camera work!

[@gmbn]

Thanks! We've got such a great team of creators which make all our videos possible! 👊

[@AmvC]

@@gmbn thanks for everyone's effort :) i do corporate video and i know how hard it can be to stay creative and sensitive to everything around oneself. The puddle reflection - unneccessary but it carries a lot of subtext... subimage? Just plain nice to watch :)

[@jamesweldon8118]

Great idea for a series

[@gmbn]

Thanks, James! Have you seen the other What Is Faster videos?

[@metamurph]

hard tail XC and Roadbike. Thinking about adding a gravel. But my road is "all road" and is fine for majority of gravel in phoenix and what it isn't good for is great XC single track. the XC is also my errand bike because generally it has flats.

[@ACTIVEPAIR]

When I’m on Gravel Bike (with road tyres) love Road. When I’m on Gravel Bike with 45mm tyres love fire roads. When I’n on Hardtail love fire roads and trails. When on Enduro Bike love trails. Simple 👍🏽😂

[@rt-ik7ik]

Lol, gotta work hard for all those bike s though! Well deserved I bet! I make do with my trusty hardtail. But it s the Netherlands, so a hardtail or maybe even gravel bike is really all you need over here. No real downhill over here in flatland (or highland, depends on what you re smoking i guess).

[@ACTIVEPAIR]

@@rt-ik7ik yes I did work hard!! If I could only have one bike 🤔 think here in Scotland it would be the Hardtail 👍🏽 in the ‘High’ lands 😂😂

[@vetzaaak]

I'm kinda on the fence. I only plan on doing relatively smooth trails when I join my buddy on his mellow mtb rides. I'm guessing less than 10% of all my riding will not be on tarmac/gravel where a hardtail xc mtb would be the typical choice. So as a non-competitive 40 year old amateur who just wants to have fun and stay healthy and can't afford two seperate dedicated bikes...it kinda looks like the whole gravel bike concept actually makes a lot of sense. I guess it's mainly a matter of picking the right tires to meet the 90% road 10% off-road requirements...

[@jmounce50]

GMBN vs. Si from GCN it would be hilariously good fun

[@gmbn]

For sure! That would be fun to film!

[@Bacciagalupe]

Both awesome - thanks Guys!

[@RBStriker]

I'm riding a gravelbike with 38mm tires, my brother has a proper hardtail MTB with a dropper post. He's can push out a lot more power then me, still I feel I can keep up with him better on my gravelbike. Even when we ride single track we both have tons of fun. I like the racy looks and position with the dropbars, he likes his dropper post and wide tires to swoop down the crazy decents. So what bike is best? The one you like most!!!

[@blackphillipppp]

I've been thinking about this for so long!

[@gmbn]

Well now you know! 😉

[@TheSandkastenverbot]

Being rather new to drop bars I find my gravel bike A LOT more similar to a road bike than a hardtail mtb. I really love my gravel bike on roads and well-prepared forest paths. But let's be honest, they reach their limits really quickly with their more rigid frame, narrow handlebars, brakes that are harder to operate (and usually just worse than on a similarly priced mtb) and higher gear ratios. Having too few gears can really suck on a bikepacking tour with 10 or 20kg of baggage. On top of that you get way less bike for the money. So for my purposes, fiddling around with drop bar mtb's is the way to go.

[@ridgebackdk]

why not do both bikes on both trails ,we get to see the real differences and get to see the plus and minus of both bikes... xc bike with the 1x gearing i find spinning out is an issue on flatter rides ... these days i ride a mix of flat failrly smooth gravel and quite bumpy harsh trails neither are anything very difficult .. and while in the market for a new bike i kinda have this issue, xc or gravel .. i prefer xc for the riding position but a lot of new bikes dont allow anything more than a 34 or 36 up front ..most are sold with a 32... ahhhh first world problems ...!!!

[@maaduece5132]

You'd have to find a mid 2010 s 29er that had a 2 x setup

[@ridgebackdk]

@@maaduece5132 i agree ... iam sure iam not alone in the issue ...bikes are geared for the climb and gravity ...not really riding ... the old way a mountain bike did it all lol now days you need different bikes for everything ..

[@Emolokz]

I intend to get a gravel bike since it's more useful to me as an all-road bike than a road bike would be, then I'm going to step from my ancient 2001 xc bike to likely an enduro rig as a second bike.

[@joeymalin]

I would love to see the results on a race like “grinduro” 70 mile cyclocross/gravel race on a cx bike vs Xc race bike such as supercaliber 60/100mm suspension

[@snowman22ism]

XC for the win... Can do what a Gravel bike can... and then more... If you don't like riding trails in the forest with rocks and roots and drops and jumps, then a gravel bike might be for you but if you even have a small itch to venture into the wilderness, then XC or even a Trail bike for the win! :)

[@brendonnoble5227]

Sorry guys but you have to do it again. With the xc bike on the gravel roads and the gravel bike on the xc route. Hope you dont mind.

[@fulltang1]

The true test is which can ride on the tarmac to the trailhead with the least effort :)

[@robertbeltran4235]

I would have loved to hear your top speed differences and your timing differences after the race to get some quantitative numbers

[@GregLanz]

For that a gravel bike. I like the challenge of taking my gravel bike places where most people take their mtb's. I like the challenge where it's more about technique, experience, and skill than what the bike can do. Then again I'm old and remember when mtb's had no suspension aside from the tires

[@dpie4859]

XC all day long please. Love it.

[@benjaminroys6613]

Blake is a monster you could put him on his sons bike and he would win!

[@Axel-xl2vh]

I love Swedish trails they are awesome I live in north of Sweden

[@lyubravia]

maybe not only for me, but for my needs, a good ol' hardtail XC bike does the job. gravels looks nice, but i think they aren't way too much applicable everywhere on the planet. especially if the road becomes a bit bumpy, muddy, etc.

[@rogermeneses2893]

I think Blake could've handled the same terrain as Neil if his Hakka used the 650b tires as well. I've seen people push a Hakka way further than you'd think.

[@Cheapsh0t247]

would be cool to see Blake smash that gravel bike through some of the Pro lines in the Bike Parks

[@boytigas4894]

Go Team XC!!!

[@KristianSchoeler]

to be fair there are hardly any people who can throw around a dropbar gravel bike the way Blake does... Riding single track or slightly rough gravel road most people will be most comfortable (and safe) riding an mtb. You should do an amateur and new rider comparison video with XC mtb and gravel bike on different types of terrain/road, and let them explain pros and cons.

[@jasonridyardhome]

Great vid guys, I struggle to find good gravel where I live. Prefer the road or just standard XC.

[@richjones2767]

Pretty sure the Hakka weight includes the fork and also pretty sure the Orbea doesn't, the rigid option is another 500g.

[@sspirito3130]

I own a high end gravel bike (3T Exploro Racemax) and a high end carbon hardtail (Bianchi Methanol) setup with the same Vittoria Barzo 2.1 tyres. On any non-technical stuff the gravel bike is significantly faster, on average about 4km/h faster over my usual 50Km loop. I lost interest in technical MTB trails, so the hardtail doesn't get much use

[@bobothericefarmer1878]

XC is way better then gravel

[@E.T_rode_bikes_As_well]

Whats better: a skinny person on a fatbike or a fat person on a gravel bike?

[@mellissanash7517]

This needs to be done somewhere else with the Santa Cruz Stigmata(rigid) vs a Santa Cruz Blur.

[@coldforgedcowboy]

@Global Mountain Bike Network... That isn't an XC bike that is a trail bike. A proper XC bike will have 100mm of travel, at least two water bottles, and hopefully be a swing link design with platform , such as the Specialized Epic, Canyon Lux, or Cannondale Scapel. Heavy and complicated multi link suspension bikes like that DW need to be culled from heard.

[@fulltang1]

100% the real comparison would be an xc frame vs a gravel bike ON THE SAME TIRE, and in a true mixed surfaces ride that includes tarmac. Show power numbers that indicates effort.

[@marksandoval5361]

The best Gravelbike is an XC bike, full-sus or hardtail, with light-weight fast rolling Gravel tires mounted. I have a full-sus XC bike with 700x43 Panaracer Gravel King tires. Very fast on pavement and gravel while still being capable on singletrack. However, the best part is how comfortable it is. Thumbs up to Gravelbikes with suspension.

[@therealkayj]

XC Bike & slap some TT-Bars on them and you have the ultimate do-it-all bike for long days in the woods

[@SteelR4t]

Great video.. I'm not necessarily "anti" Gravel bike, but I don't buy the "only bike you need" crap. Both have types of terrain where they work best, but then what bike doesn't? I still think in terms of true versatility; in other words widest range of terrains you can possibly ride relatively quickly, you can't beat an XC bike.

[@gibbykirwan7788]

Hell no. No drop bar nonsense for me. My fatbike is my xc bike & gravel bike in one

[@dangerfulmind]

These races they do always make me laugh, spend half the time talking and stopping, surely a race means head down and go!

[@nicemakgaiver5991]

god.....thx for subtitles

[@danielcedolin2034]

Would love to see how your specialised kenevo Sl stacks up against a full fat Ebike on a 13 ish mile race round a trail centre like llandegla where 80 percent of ebikes end up . All we ever see Is a steep climb that the full fat E wins . Probably better to do it as a timed loop on different dry days . 🤔

[@cccycling5835]

both. sometimes you wanna smash the trail, other times just a tickle

[@dcv9460]

AWESOME!!! 😎

[@gmbn]

Glad you enjoyed! Cheers! 👊

you can't compare unless on the same track and tyre width, The main difference is the handle bars.. long road rides , grave wins, tricky tracks the mtn bike wins..

[@The_One-Eyed_Undertaker]

I knew it! The tanlines he showed in the hot tub video were dead giveaway: Blake is a MINO!!! (Mountain biker In Name Only) 😂

[@rowerowysztos]

light xc bike for the win!

[@mansbergdahl5427]

How long will you be in Åre? Please anser, we are going to Åre soon!!

[@gmbn]

You've just missed us, unfortunately. We came back last week! We hope you have a good time out there! It's amazing! 🤘

[@sashaciochina1166]

Got a Canyon Grizl a few months back, and I have to say, it's as close to a do-it-all bike as you can get. Handles off-road surprisingly well, has a lot of attachment points for bags and holders (even went grocery shopping with it XD ), and with the absence of suspension, maintenance is way less of a bother. I saying this because I switched from an enduro bike which was loads of fun, but boy was keeping it up and running a bother. Plus, the bike is amazing on long distances.

[@JB-1138]

The fact that Blake's route was longer indicates his bike is faster. And at the end. This was proven.

[@E-MTBs]

XC is more fun, but i plan to buy a gravel bike for roadwork.

[@MrBob303303]

The New Forest works well for gravel

[@MarlowWhere]

That orbea xc weight you cited is without a fork right?

[@nicetry213]

Should have taken the same route. Hard to compare otherwise.

[@plepgeat]

"40 mm tires aren't as good over rough terrain." Blake:

[@TrIpMo1981]

He wasn't laughing that much after the race 😜

[@ashpunting]

I enjoyed that friendly race for cake but thats wot made it fun I think Neil forgot about the race and just enjoyed the scenery 😀 👍🏾

[@gmbn]

Nice, Rory! Thanks for watching! XC bikes have to be the ultimate exploration bike to just relax and enjoy riding on! 👍

[@fulltang1]

If you're riding to the trails get a flat bar gravel, or if you're driving to the trailhead get an xc