Gravel Bike vs Road Bike - What's The Difference? GCN's Epic Gravel Ride
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- Опубліковано 20 вер 2024
- What can a gravel bike do that a road bike can't?
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Gravel bikes - they've got bigger tyres, disc brakes and a bit more stability built in. But how does that translate when it comes to tackling some off-road terrain? And can it's skinny-tyred road bike brother keep up when the path gets rough? We went for an epic gravel ride, putting the new Ridley X-Trail up against Dan's road bike to find out some answers!
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Music:
The Mammal Club - Out of the Playground
Humble Bones - Labyrinth Ear
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Here's the weird point:
I do not ride road bikes, just mountainbikes, however, GCN is so much more fun, fluid and coalesced than GMBN, that I prefer watching them, even if I can't learn as much in my topic.
Thanks for the compliment. We won't tell GMBN......
I feel similar, however, watching this many GCN-vids I really wanna get a road bike.... or a gravel bike? :O
I can't lie, I'm in the same boat. I'm a porky utility cyclist who only rides heavy bikes that can carry heavy loads of groceries and gear, and as much as I'm fairly certain lycra, carbon fiber, and helmets will eventually be found as causes of testicular cancer, I can't help but keep watching GCN videos.
Totally agree... these guys are great - and I'm an MTBer (with a 'cross bike)
Wow! I thought I was the only one thinking. GMBN is a great channel but not diverse as GCN.
I love this channel.
It's like Top Gear for cycling!
Just without the stupid money-greedy company kicking them out...
+Adrian Tan i think they did okay out of that deal tbh :P clarkson alone made what, 160 million? :)
+marcus allison yes, but still, quote James May : CLARKSONNNNNNNNNNNNNN!!!!!!!!! Dude Top Gear's screwed now..
Adrian Tan the original? yes, absolutely, i think so too- but i heard the other day that jenson button might become a top gear presenter- now THAT would be brilliant!!
***** good point!! although, i think we should remember that as stupid as it sounds, they had been filming all day since v early morning, were in the middl of nowhere and no kind of food or anything was arranged, so an argument broke out and it all escalated, could have happened to a lot of us when tired and emotional!!
I really like this kind of episode. Having Dan, Simon and Matt all riding together and exploring an aspect of cycling with humor as well as good information. Thanks.
All this puncture talk reminds me of the conception of my first child.
That was an epic ride too.
As to the difference between road, gravel, and CX bikes, I think Ben Serotta nailed it early on (before he got kicked out of the company that then went under). For a period of time you could order Serotta's with the "all roads" option where they would make a road bike with slightly wider forks and stays to allow for wider tires (and rims). I am pretty sure everything else stayed the same.
"Sod off!" As an American, this makes me laugh every time!
I'm 58 and I am returning to cycling and phasing out ice hockey (at least for the summer months April-October). I was quite avid in my twenties and I still own, and occasionally ride my 1982 Peugeot CP 12, my first real bike. I love this channel, and the guys who are the presenters. It's entertaining, informative, and makes you crave a ride every time I watch. I'm a fat old guy on his way to being a fit old-guy cyclist. Thanks for such great fun!
Obviously the key to an epic video is an epic soundtrack. Well done GCN.
Not everyone can afford, house, or maintain multiple bikes; it seems like the gravel bike is a serious option for someone looking for that one bike that does it all, an SUV bike of sorts. It’s not necessarily the best of anything, but it does a lot of things well.
I have a flat bar commuter bike made by Norco, a company more renown for its mountain bikes. The bike comes standard with Deore cranks, shifters, derailleur, and hydraulic disc brakes, and 700c WTB rims. The frame can easily accommodate wider tires, say 43s. Thinking outside of the box, this bike has become my “affordable” gravel bike. I have other bikes, but this bike is the one I grab when I’m not sure what kind of terrain I will be riding or I go on a week long road trip and want to take just one bike.
Love the gravel bike concept!
This was filmed beautifully. I'd love to see more videos from you guys that look like this.
That moment when the new kit order arrives and everyone decides to wear it. Nice arm/leg warmers guys!
I've watched this now 4 times. This video shows what I love best.... beautiful country, adventure, diverse terrain and down right fun!
I don't know bout the rest of you, but as an MTBer looking at a roadbike, I'd rather take the gravel bike. I test rode one, and trying to get used to dropped bars and STI shifters was not easy - not to mention no suspension! I'd rather get used to that on a bike that (a) is a bit easier to handle, (b) is a bit softer to handle, and (c) is tough enough to roll around on the gravel bike paths in my area.
Thanks for the review guys, appreciated it!
I find gravel bikes are also good for harsher roads and university riing where you can take dirt shortcuts and things like that. Plus wider tires with tread is nice for dealing with riding in rain
In North Western Idaho/Eastern Washington (USA) we ride A LOT of gravel. We throw it in on every type of ride; ranging from pacey weekly drop rides to more relaxed recovery/group rides. Most of us just whip the road bikes. It just doesn't make sense to lay down the extra cash for such a minor "gain". Slap some 28s on your road bike and you will be fine. Seriously.
Can you also make a film about the same question in reverse?
What can a road bike do that a gravel (and please also a cyclocross) bike cant?
I own a cyclocross and sometimes i wonder how big the difference on the road would be to a roadbike if i just swapped tyres.
Thank you for all your films!
Hey Guys I Agree With Armilar Zifferblatt, I am Also A Mountain Biker, Love The Channel, And I also See The GMBN Channel But Your Channel Makes My Day and Gets A Big Smile
On my face, In Fact I Get To Learn New Things From GCN.
it's funny that when it's Matt's turn to buy the drinks he has a half pint, tighter than Dan Lloyd's Cervelo test team shorts!
I biked 36 miles today on a stock giordano libero 2.0 road bike on a dirt and gravel trail that had sections of flooding. Had orientation for a new job so I at least had a 3 hour break between each 18 mile run. Definitely going to opt for the 20 mile route on road only come Saturday when I start. Only now I'll have 12.5 hours between rides for 3 days in a row. 120 miles a week with no road biking experience. But hey at least I saved a bunch of money on my car insurance by switching to cycling.
You'll never beat Dan in a sprint for free beers. Matt you should never have suggested that. lol
Didn't realise how good the editing was before now. All this slo mo is pretty impressive.
watched this again after seeing Simons thru axle video, disappointing to find it already liked it a year ago, definitely deserves 2 thumbs up!
I was recently in the market for a new commuter/ firetrail bike and ended up demoing a few gravel bikes and a few CX bikes
Biggest difference I noticed was gravel bikes had longer wheelbases (think road bike with big tires) which makes then more stable while cx bikes were a bit more twitchy. They share the same comps (hydro disc brakes, same drivetrains, clearance for up to 40mm tires). I ended up going with a niner bsb, which is a more relaxed cx bike since I like the tighter wheelbase for city commuting (and it just felt more lively). Just did a century with it no problem, it's slightly slower than my road bike, but that's mostly due to the lower psi tires and compact gearing. Great bike, absolutely no regrets
Gravel bikes are more likely to come in steel or alu, which is a big factor if you want to throw on a rack and go touring (or you can go rackless touring if you wanna go carbon). Hope that helps
Gravel Bikes vs Cyclo Cross Bikes. What is the difference? Is it just extra width on the tyres?
Years ago I put some 8 inch tires on my drop handle bar touring bike, the old Dutch 8 inch uses the same rim as 700 cm. I tried doing mountain gravel type riding. When ridding the brake grips my thumbs where coming off. So I got a mountain bike.
Has the UCI allowed gravel bikes in the pro tour? Seeing if you ride a gravel bike, with a double ring in front. You can swap wheels at any point (UCI allows this). Meaning enter a section of dirt and gravel in say the Tour de France, swap to gravel spec wheels and swap back when you returned to smooth conditions. Before anyone misunderstood that, I don't mean a 2/5/10 km area but a 40 or more. Much like disc brakes in rain, you would have an advantage. I know some local races do allow this and more riders are swapping wheels as I stated. If the frame geometry is the same, except for a wider chain and seat stay area...it could be faster and the future or road racing.
I miss these presenters, I wish they come back
I love your videos. That said, please turn down the music volume, it blows away your head watching it with earphones. Thank you and keep up the good work 👍👍
This is the first time I've listened at the end of a video and clicked the in the top right. This is such an epic ride they go on, GCN take me next time!!
I've been riding Specialized Diverge gravel since april this year and am absolutely loving the machine. It takes me up Kemmelberg and gravel roads of Sierra de Baza just as well as every day Sussex slog. I called it El Diablo Negro heheh....
Love the sprint at the end, you take the boys out of pro racing, but you can't take racing out of the boys!
For smaller frames (~24"), wheelchair wheels and tyres are what we used to use as friction negligible and so is rolling resistance. Puncture resistance is very high. In 1970's and 1980's we used a lot on our Raleigh, Falcon and Warlord bikes which nobody mentions these days in pref for trendy makes. Raleigh needs more support (no I don't work for them!).
That was some slick editing! The style of this video was a little more aggressive / extreme than other GCN videos and it was a refreshing change; that doesn't mean I enjoy the other GCN videos any less :)
Also, good to see some drones being put to use for those fly-by shots. Looks epic!
Great camera work and filming. Oh yeah, and an EPIC ride too :-)
Humble Bones - Labyrinth Ear at 4:54 is awesome!!
was there ... and done that... I just feel epic ... tons of fun... and looking for a proper bike to do more of that here at home.
epic video. the production value is amazing. Simon rules!
Those guys are FAST! I know those bits of mid-Wales gravel - that climb is steep. They flew up it while presenting to camera...
They were drafting behind the vehicle. =P
Actually a ingeniously produced video, sweet camerawork, one of my favourite gcn vids
the slow motion of rolling over the cattle gaurd at 1:33 says a lot! The gravels roll over smoothly and the road bike bounces violently.
For all of those who are planning to jump on the CX/Gravel bike train: Get a bike with disc brakes. Cantilevers are a pain in the ar*e when it comes to thicker gravel descents.
And dont go for 1x drivetrain if its your only (n=1) bike.
I'll always maintain that gravel bikes are just a way for bike manufacturers to make us think we need another bike. If you've already got a cross bike, you've got a gravel bike.
Great job, guys. Probably one of your top ones yet for quality of shot and editing! Very nice on the eyes! Keep it up!
I love this channel, please stop asking people to subscribe because "it's free". All UA-cam subscriptions are free right?
This show is like top gear for bikes.....Amazing!!!
I've just build a gravel bike for the winter, and I'm actually preferring it to my road bike in a lot of ways. With the state of the roads round here, it's a lot more comfortable, plus I don't cringe when I hit any uneven surfaces. I haven't even really noticed a reduction in average speed.
Choosing between road|gravel|CX I would still choose my CX bike. With 35 mm sammy slick tires (50-70 psi) every ride is epic :-) . You can go to all sorts of terain and it will handle it beautifly. There is also an option to put 42 mm tires and with these tires the ride is super comfy and even riding on XC trails is possible :-) .
I like the new way you guy's shot this video
I have put 35mm wide summer tyres (pretty slick in the middle and diamond shaped on the corners for extra grip) and been running them on more than 4 bars, preferably 5 or 5,5 and they perform excellent. On the road it's a road bike, yet it can tackle some minor off road terain still delivering great speed but not so much comfort :D Nevertheless, it's my all-around bike
Best gravel bike I ever had was a 20" Sears Stingray
You should come to Norfolk; with the farmer's leaving most of their fields on the road and the council using tar and gravel cover for the road surfaces (most of which has far too much gravel) it's pretty much what you've been riding... Apart from the hills.
I prefer a steel framed gravel bike over carbon, if for no other reason than durability. I ride a soma doublecross as my gravel grinder and my cross bike. It works splendidly in both respects. Of course here in Oregon we have a great deal of gravel to choose from. Dan you were quite a trooper on that ride, I'm not sure I would have faired so well.
I have a hybrid bike I converted to a road bike, and I have a 2nd set of wheels with cyclocross tires I swap out for gravel rides. Cheaper alternative to having a whole other bike, works great for me.
Beer after a ride? Cmon bois we should be carbing up and getting nutrition in the body! cycling burns a ton of cals!! Anyways, I did enjoy the first 99% of the video. Thanks and keep it up!
Difference between CX and gravel. Both have identical spec. Is the geometry slacker on a Gravel bike compared to CX or is this just marketing??
Epic vid, guys! Gotta do a Strada Bianca epic ride or do the sportive L'eroica. I'll keep my road bike a little bit longer... but you are convincing me to change my non-branded alloy roady for a gravel one. Gotta see again the Improvements vids.
Gravel bike and an enduro hardtail mtb is all I need! Might get a downhill later..
bloody brilliant vid.like a billion thumbs up.cheers
Feels like ages since I last saw Dan in a riding video. Looks like a great place to ride too.
How much faster was Matt clipping in with the SPD pedals rather than his normal road bike pedals?
60% quicker.
+Global Cycling Network Still 5 minutes.
lol
"Gravel" bikes because... Marketing!!!
I already have a CX bike that can do all of this.
+Nero Wolfe (Update) Sold CX bike, bought Gravel/Allroad bike after riding a friends--more comfortable/stable/fun.
It's much more than marketing.
I got a specialized diverge and I'm so happy with it :) It's robust, It's fast and I could even convert it into a touring bike :)
You guys are great! You've renewed my interest in bicycling!
Really enjoyed this video. Content aside (which was great too) I really enjoyed the cinematography and music. More like this! Maybe even a short film!
There's something positively and delightfully macaque-like about Matthew's facial features and expressions. Not an insult at all: monkeys are beautiful animals in their own right. A bit comical sometimes, I should concede. A shame he left GCN, by the way.
That was some great cinematography!
I discovered Gravel bikes a short while ago and I absolutely fell in love with them. I'd like to buy a gravel bike in the future when I can afford one, but in the meantime I'm probably gonna fit a different wheelset suited for this kind of cycling on my current road bike (it got a vintage steel frame which takes even wider tires than these, which is great)
Love the editing and music! Keep up the great work guys!
Another great video, guys! GCN is the best channel on UA-cam.
It's worth noting that Dan's bike had disk brakes, without those anyone would've been hard pressed to finish a ride like that, especially with the river crossing.
+Dylan Willick A caliper road bike with 25s (or 23s!) would have been an interesting comparison alright. With discs and 28s, Dan's halfway to a cross bike already.
well done boys! funny but very informational as well... always appreciated
Fugi absolute 2.3 $370
Giant escape 1 $325 "used"
Cannondale quick5 $490
Cannondale quick6 $490
Schwinn volare 1200 $275
This is a list of hybrid bikes, I'm considering one for my first bike , would appreciate your opinion which is best, rank them if you like and pros cons etc. thank you In advance for all the opinions.
OHHH!!! some funky electro beats, some classic lloydey sass.... and no i didn't know dan finished top 10 strade bianche
This is indeed the most epic ride I've ever watched. Unless there are more...
you guys should revisit this and have Dan on a gravel bike... see if his scepticism has been answered after riding one
The lower psi also acts as a shock absorber... Always run low psi on my mtb hardtail, massive difference! Just make sure they are tubeless though otherwise you'll get snake bite punctures!
Awesome.. just brought a gravel bike ..& changed it to tubeless ..buzzing
Definitely an epic ride; however, not so epic when Dan and Matt didn't sip their delicious looking beers after the cheers. Sy, well done mate, proper etiquette ;)
+Thelonious Akita Matt's only looks half as delicious as Si an Dan's.
Great vid. Really fancy a Ridley now... thanks boys!
Best channel ever! Thanks for the entertainment guys.
Can anyone explain to me what the difference is between a gravel bike and cyclocross bike?
Not much. Seems very insignificant
Gravel Bikes are usually more like endurance bikes on the road side - longer wheelbase, less reach, more "comfort". Cyclocross bikes are more for racing.
Geometry
Hi mate, I have had a CX and a gravel bike. The geometry is different as the BB bracket is higher on the CX, both have discs, Gravel has thru-axle. Gravel is longer. Both use 700x35c
Crankset - CX has 46.36T, Gravel 50-34T, Cassette CX 11-28T, Gravel 11-32T
Cfu
I know its much heavier but an XC bike with 1.5- or 1.95 29er tire would be more versatile for me imo. lots more comfort on trails and good enough for roads :) Wouldn't feel out of the picture when you're with your cross country friends and wouldn't be left in the dust with your roadie friends hahaha. although i still have my commuter road bike just incase.
You should have made Dan use calliper brakes too. Good to see road bikes finally see some well overdue development. I think comfort (bigger tyres, clearance, compliance) and safety (disc brakes) are more important to 99% of riders than all out lightweight bikes and aero features. I reckon roadie geometry will get looked at next, no toe overlap, longer tts, shorter stems, just basically follow mtb development from 10 years ago. Anyhow, good to see castelli lingerie clad 8 stone Bez wannabes getting dragged in to the 21st century kicking and screaming.
I think suspension seat post and suspension front forks like the Merida Cyclocross would be ideal oh and throw in some permatubes!
Great video guys. Beautiful location and excellent production.
I prefer cyclocross bikes because they are a all rounder bike for off road/road, also carrying stuff as well plus the speed to and performance.
Looks like some really sweet MTB terrain there.
This was an interesting video as I've been contemplating this question myself. I ride a Surly Crosscheck which my LBS marketed as a gravel/CX bike. The bigger selling point was the flexibility the bike comes with in tire sizes. I could ride skinny road tires if the elements suit, or ride some fatties for some of the rougher terrain. I ride on 41mm Knards on pavement and offroad. Was wondering if it would be worth getting a separate road bike for longer/faster rides and just use my crosscheck for the occasional trail rides and my longer touring rides. Or just buy a thinner set of wheels and tires and swap out when I'd like. This video did not answer that question for me.
I'm thinking about buying a 2017 Kona Roadhouse. I just have no clue in what category it is. Several i guess. Classic road bike, endurance road bike, adventure bike, gravel bike.
Hey Lloyd i pulled out a sky cap the other day that i remember me asking you and Roger Hammond to sign at the tour of Britain and you told me you wouldn't sign it so i asked you for something else you could sign for me, you both laughed and then both signed the sky cap with smiles on your faces. ;)
Great video! I'd love to get more details of this route - the word epic often gets bandied around too much but that looks properly epic!
This guys are funny, makes me miss hanging out with my friends
Nice drone footage, GCN!
Best video so far! Great photography
Great video boys. Looks like you guys had loads of fun, well besides Dan on those rocky descents.
What an amazing ride with beautiful scenery! :)
How about pedal advice for gravel bike vs. Road? Do you need others? More MTB type of pedals like SPD or Eggbeater?
3:10 Mammal Club - Out Of The Playground
4:46 Labyrinth Ear - Humble Bones
I miss these presenters. Matt, Dan and Si we're so much better than most current presenters
An important point you missed. Road bikes are VERY unstable on gravel and it's extremely likely you will fall eventually. I think Road cyclists are so calous about falling. You all get so used to it you think it's normal. IT IS NOT NORMAL to end up on the pavement. The gravel bike may be slower but the safety aspect of it makes up for it to me.