I think its your body position and tyre choice that determines the speed difference. The weight difference is too insignificant to justify the speed difference in your case. (same as aero properties of the bikes themself)
Best thing with the gravel bike on 700x40c tubeless is running them at 30psi on the road, and with 30/46 the slight reduction in top end speed matches the lowered gearing. So comfort, pothole proof(well, except the craters!), ability to go off road (I do some rocky singletrack around the lower Cairngorms where I am) is superb. The biggest thing people need to do is take a good look at their terrain, their weight and fitness and (probably)admit their bikes are massively over geared, a good change is an FSA Tempo set of sub compact cranks NOT increasing the cassette(and thereby the distance between gears), just check your FD will allow the drop necessary for the reduced chainring diameters, this is where braze on sucks and clamps win!! I'm 56, 10,000km/ 80,000 vertical metres a year and realise now having a road and gravel bike with 30/46 that I don't need 34/50 or beyond (I live in the Cairngorms).... If you live in Norfolk or the Netherlands then go for the massive gearing for sure.....
Stick some wide slicks on it and you will see a big jump in speed. Ive got 42mm knobblies for off road duties and 35mm slicks for road and the difference is night and day...i dont use my road bike anymore, the gravel does it all with a quick wheel change. A 48/31 chainring is plenty as I'm not riding in a club peloton. Flipping love my gravel, its everything i need in a bike and its super comfortable 👍
Hi Leonard, another nice ride! Though I dont agree with your notion that gravel bikes are slower, I ride a gravel bike by Fairlight Cycles, I can assure you there is nothing slow about it... For 95% of us riders, fitness is a more limiting factor than minor differences between bikes... I think it comes down to tires with low rolling resistance. Swap out your present tires for fat but ultra supple by Rene Herse, and I promise you, you will be flying in comfort... Atb, Sven.a
@@oliverberger5946 Awesome Oliver! Its autumn now, so I now ride the bombproof wtb Horizons, but come summer I am back on my 42mm babyshoe pass EL.... atb
I can't say I have noticed much difference in speed between my Merida Gravel Bike and my Orbea Road bike - but then again I don't push myself on rides (just uphill efforts)
I had a client complain his Gravel bike wasn't as quick as his road bike just this week , i tried to explain the obvious but you can only help someone with that mindset so much.
Looked like a pleasant ride Time has gone by fast. Feels only too recent that we did the 24 in 24 challenge. And I’m sure the next Jan challenge will arrive in a blink. 25 in 25? I’ll be joining. Got my biking off to a good start this year.
@@jollygoodvelo yeah. There was a trip in the area over a year ago that I wanted to do and hoped you'd be leading one there; and you did and turns out I wasn't able to make it. ah well. Hopefully there'll be more chances.
As you were on the gravel bike, you should have tried Coldhill or Tagdell Lane. I had to go down them a bit gingerly on my road bike the other day, and scrape the mud from under my forks before carrying on, but you should be fine with those clearances.
My gravel bike is actually faster than my road bike. Admittedly, the gravel bike is more of an all-road bike with relatively aggressive geometry for a gravel bike, and a road groupset, and carbon wheels - while the road bike is from the 1990s, with heavy-AF-high-profile alloy rims. Even though both have steel frames, the gravel bike is lighter (most of that weight savings is from the groupset and the wheels). The gravel bike has 40mm, the road bike 25mm tyres - and the tyres are certainly not holding the gravel bike back. Supple 40mm slicks, set up tubeless at reasonably low pressures, roll just as good as the narrower tyres on good tarmac - and are much, much more comfortable on rough surfaces. On individual segments, the speeds between the two bikes are pretty much identical, but the the average speed on longer rides on gravel bike is higher - and I feel fresher during and after the ride. At least at my lowly fitness level, comfort (not much difference in riding position, but much less vibrations on the gravel bike!) seems to equal speed.
I can match the speed of my road bike on my gravel bike despite it being heavier, the secret is in the tyres, Gravelking ss make virtually no noise on the road indicating very low rolling resistance. Noisy tyre equals heat and friction which slows you down more than a couple of pounds or non aero. By the way my road bike has conti gp4000 tyres and 2 less kilos.
I agree, with the right supple tires, there is no reason why a gravel bike is slower, I ride my Fairlight Secan with fat tires by Rene Herse, nothing slow about it...
My “gravel” bike is about 1mph slower than my Cannondale Synapse. But I won’t go back. In fact, sold the Synapse. Love the extra comfort of the steel frame and 38c tires.
I’ve noticed that September seems to be a good month for me speed wise (not that I’m trying!). Maybe because I’ve rested a bit in July/August. Weather conditions - drier, right temperature? Don’t know.
See you in September, see you when the summers through... (The Happenings) Or Do you remember, the 21st night of September... Ba-dee-ya, say, do you remember? Ba-dee-ya, dancin' in September Ba-dee-ya, never was a cloudy day... (Earth, Wind, and Fire)
Hey Leonard... I have 39 and 56 chainrings, with at 28 - 12 cassette in the back. The only time I ever make it to the large chainring is if I've run out of gear in the back or going down hill. The rest of the time, I'm always in the small chainring if you can call a 39 tooth chainring small. Oh, and a week from today, Oct 9 as it was summer last week, this week as been like the beginning of November weather and next Wednesday it will be 9F degrees above freezing. Something we don't usually have until mid to the end of December or Christmas time.... So.... whoever has solved Global Warming... would you please stop. I hate the cold.
On a gravel bike? How bizarre, I'm running 30/46 by 11-36 and even changed my older rim brake road bike to that same set up too(ace hill bike, ace Zone 2 bike, ace winter bike), never ran out of gears on any descent and that includes coming off the Bealach Na Ba...
39 is a lot closer to the old school small chain ring so it sound ideal. Weather wise it’s a nightmare; it either too hot or, more likely, way too cold!
@@nathanwoodruff9422 Oh sorry, silly me thought the topic of the day had something to do with "How slow is my GRAVEL bike" so I made that assumption, if you're just going to waffle about any other bike except a gravel bike maybe make it clearer you've gone off topic. Tell us about your fixie or MTB next time, can't wait lol😂🤣
@@BarrioBarranco1 _"Oh sorry, silly me thought the topic of the day had something to do with "How slow is my GRAVEL bike" "_ With all your intelligence, please tell us all how many other types of bicycles have more than one chainring. Also Please inform everyone how changing the chainring for best biking performance only relates to MTB's. If you can't tell us that, please tell us all how fast your feelings get hurt when someone talks about subjects you know nothing about. Make sure you stay on topic as well.
Is it worth getting dressed up in cycle kit to ride 26km? Cycle liners under footy shorts. Tee shirt. Musette bag. Testing climb. "If you can climb a ladder, you can ride a bike up a hill."
My gravel bike is not slow. Just my road bike is faster and I don’t think it’s a fair comparison when you said that when you were on your road bike, you were pushing the pace to see if you could do it under an hour and this today was supposed to be a zone 2 ride
72 yo low speed tumble when I looked down, while biking to dinner on the 3rd Broke hip couldn't get back on , and still can't walk. At least it wasn't a car that got me. guess that's it . Wanna bike? only 10K miles on it
@@jollygoodvelo Thanks, sport. It was just an odd loss of balance slow speed endo, the type done rarely by all of us from time to time , but destroyed with a co-minuted fracture the femoral neck, w/ capsule injury, plus prosthesis and incision damage. A mess. Unable to bear weight for 10d. these are out there for older riders, lurking. , common enough to keep in mind when planning any trip as a rare risk. I was doing 10-25 mpd before the hit. Stuff happens. No real abnormal pathology on the bone fragments, just a combination of the possible "unlucky" torque. I am 2 weeks into 8 weeks projected before walking with a gimp. Good shape will speed recovery, and I am trying to use my recumbent on a trainer rig I set up after a disastrous CABG in the wake of cath with complications (illiac artery laceration a 50% mortality risk event in May). LSS: procedures have complications and are hard to anticipate, and don't require the help of a distracted motorist for a life changing event..
A True Gravel Bike is meant for off road riding and trail riding..A True Road bike will always be faster then a Gravel bike especiallyon pavement.Now there are All Road Bikes that are Road Bikes with Gravel Tires setup capabilities.But are they a "True Gravel Bike"!!!So Comparing the two bikes is like Apple 🍎 and Orange 🍊 theory 🤭
@@jollygoodvelo ....the only main difference from a road bike to a gravel bike is the tyres [excluding weight]. .....I was mentioning body weight because some people find it very difficult to lose weight which is very easy with a little research and application.
@@blaze1148 I get that you want me feel a failure somehow for being heavy but how do you explain the speed difference? I haven’t suddenly put on weight between rides. Same rider and weight. Same route, same weather. The only difference is the bike.
@@jollygoodvelo tyres [profile, tread, pressure], wheel bearings, bike balance maybe, upright posture etc etc ...I am not trying to make you feel a failure...you are obviously an intelligent guy which is why I find it very hard to believe when you said you have tried for many years to lose weight without success. Tip 1: Try a Keto or carnivore diet Tip 2 Cut out the highly processed foods Tip 3 Cut down [out] the carbs Tip 4 Cut out the snacks between meals Tip 5 Cut out breakfast Tip 6 Make your workouts more intensive Tip 7 [and the most important] Look into fasting _at least_ a few days a month [preferably after a hard workout] If these simple tips do not work [which they will] you must be cheating on something.
I'm slower on my gravel bike than my road bike by somewhere between 1/2 and 1 mph; about 1 kph. I think this is for a few main reasons: (1) higher rolling resistance as indicated by slower speeds when coasting down hills. (2) Heavier by several pounds and lots of hills on my rides. (3) I am more likely to take a gravel road near my house and avoid the busy road. (4) I'm getting older and my heart is getting more clogged and much of that clogging occurred after I switched to the gravel bike.
Aren't gravel bikes and mountain bikes really like toothe paste for men and toothe paste for women? They just diversify a sales market more than they perform a diverse need.
I'd say more like razors for men and women, sure you could take a "lady Shave" to your face and the Mrs could use you're a Mach 3 turbo on her legs. But there are differences in design/ergonomics that make them, slightly more than slightly, suited to the task they were designed for.
@@garyboyle695 But I do not live in the mountains or places with lots of gravel. But these bikes duel a lot in places where my commuter bike travels. So the names are not being applied to what one would expect. And that is my point. It's supposed to be a specialty item but it's use is very everyday. Like people buying running shoes but they never run.
@@garyboyle695 You are right, but to be fair the MTB came first*, so the Gravel bike IS the diversification, there is really nothing you can't do on an MTB that you can do on a gravel bike, albeit at a slower pace to the point of being impractical in some circumstances. *and I'll get there before someone else does: It could be argued that the Gravel bike actually pre-dates the MTB in all but name because: Randonneur, Tom Richey in the 80's, Offload Touring bikes, CX, UK "rough stuff" riding, the early Grand Tours were all on dirt roads.......etc......etc. 🙄🤣
Love your videos man, keep it up! Also what a beautiful area you're in, very nice!
I think its your body position and tyre choice that determines the speed difference.
The weight difference is too insignificant to justify the speed difference in your case.
(same as aero properties of the bikes themself)
My gravel bike is just as quick as my road bike…. Yes, they are the same bike 😂
Another Great Video Leonard. The Pavement Imperfections On Some Of The Roads You Encountered Are The Reason I Prefer Wider Tires On My Gravel Bike.
Best thing with the gravel bike on 700x40c tubeless is running them at 30psi on the road, and with 30/46 the slight reduction in top end speed matches the lowered gearing. So comfort, pothole proof(well, except the craters!), ability to go off road (I do some rocky singletrack around the lower Cairngorms where I am) is superb. The biggest thing people need to do is take a good look at their terrain, their weight and fitness and (probably)admit their bikes are massively over geared, a good change is an FSA Tempo set of sub compact cranks NOT increasing the cassette(and thereby the distance between gears), just check your FD will allow the drop necessary for the reduced chainring diameters, this is where braze on sucks and clamps win!! I'm 56, 10,000km/ 80,000 vertical metres a year and realise now having a road and gravel bike with 30/46 that I don't need 34/50 or beyond (I live in the Cairngorms).... If you live in Norfolk or the Netherlands then go for the massive gearing for sure.....
Stick some wide slicks on it and you will see a big jump in speed. Ive got 42mm knobblies for off road duties and 35mm slicks for road and the difference is night and day...i dont use my road bike anymore, the gravel does it all with a quick wheel change. A 48/31 chainring is plenty as I'm not riding in a club peloton. Flipping love my gravel, its everything i need in a bike and its super comfortable 👍
Hi Leonard, another nice ride! Though I dont agree with your notion that gravel bikes are slower, I ride a gravel bike by Fairlight Cycles, I can assure you there is nothing slow about it... For 95% of us riders, fitness is a more limiting factor than minor differences between bikes... I think it comes down to tires with low rolling resistance. Swap out your present tires for fat but ultra supple by Rene Herse, and I promise you, you will be flying in comfort... Atb, Sven.a
I second that. I ride the exact same configuration. Fairlight Secan + Rene Herse 48 mm slicks. 👌😎
@@oliverberger5946 Awesome Oliver! Its autumn now, so I now ride the bombproof wtb Horizons, but come summer I am back on my 42mm babyshoe pass EL.... atb
I can't say I have noticed much difference in speed between my Merida Gravel Bike and my Orbea Road bike - but then again I don't push myself on rides (just uphill efforts)
I had a client complain his Gravel bike wasn't as quick as his road bike just this week , i tried to explain the obvious but you can only help someone with that mindset so much.
I know those types , they expect a Gravel to be just as quick on road as a road bike and just as capable as a mountain bike off road.
@@Cycle.every.day. Some people….
Looked like a pleasant ride
Time has gone by fast. Feels only too recent that we did the 24 in 24 challenge. And I’m sure the next Jan challenge will arrive in a blink. 25 in 25? I’ll be joining. Got my biking off to a good start this year.
Shame you were unable to join us in France/ Spain but no, not long now until the New Year Challenge.
@@jollygoodvelo yeah. There was a trip in the area over a year ago that I wanted to do and hoped you'd be leading one there; and you did and turns out I wasn't able to make it. ah well. Hopefully there'll be more chances.
Long steady gradient.
Just right for doing 'coastdown equilibrium velocity' tests.
There has to be no wind.
If it's steeper than 4%.
As you were on the gravel bike, you should have tried Coldhill or Tagdell Lane. I had to go down them a bit gingerly on my road bike the other day, and scrape the mud from under my forks before carrying on, but you should be fine with those clearances.
They are pretty much in my back garden!
My gravel bike is actually faster than my road bike. Admittedly, the gravel bike is more of an all-road bike with relatively aggressive geometry for a gravel bike, and a road groupset, and carbon wheels - while the road bike is from the 1990s, with heavy-AF-high-profile alloy rims. Even though both have steel frames, the gravel bike is lighter (most of that weight savings is from the groupset and the wheels).
The gravel bike has 40mm, the road bike 25mm tyres - and the tyres are certainly not holding the gravel bike back. Supple 40mm slicks, set up tubeless at reasonably low pressures, roll just as good as the narrower tyres on good tarmac - and are much, much more comfortable on rough surfaces. On individual segments, the speeds between the two bikes are pretty much identical, but the the average speed on longer rides on gravel bike is higher - and I feel fresher during and after the ride. At least at my lowly fitness level, comfort (not much difference in riding position, but much less vibrations on the gravel bike!) seems to equal speed.
I can match the speed of my road bike on my gravel bike despite it being heavier, the secret is in the tyres, Gravelking ss make virtually no noise on the road indicating very low rolling resistance. Noisy tyre equals heat and friction which slows you down more than a couple of pounds or non aero. By the way my road bike has conti gp4000 tyres and 2 less kilos.
I agree, with the right supple tires, there is no reason why a gravel bike is slower, I ride my Fairlight Secan with fat tires by Rene Herse, nothing slow about it...
I can see difference easily. Despite having fast gravel with fastest gravel tyres on the market the road bike is way faster with the same effort.
My “gravel” bike is about 1mph slower than my Cannondale Synapse. But I won’t go back. In fact, sold the Synapse. Love the extra comfort of the steel frame and 38c tires.
I keep looking for a guest appearance in your vlog but no luck so far 😄 cheers from Denmead 👍
@@bonjovi1612 You never know. Say hello if you see me!
I’ve noticed that September seems to be a good month for me speed wise (not that I’m trying!). Maybe because I’ve rested a bit in July/August. Weather conditions - drier, right temperature? Don’t know.
I find big gears no tears as I'm a lot heavier than I was in the 80ts just twice my size I was back when it was easy to eat.
@@craigcarr2202 A bit too easy to eat now as well!
Why are you so concerned, obsessed with speed?
I like riding fast.
Is the gravel bike more comfortable and secure? Thinking about switching from a road bike
I think it depends on the gravel bike and the road bike you are comparing it to.
See you in September, see you when the summers through... (The Happenings)
Or
Do you remember, the 21st night of September...
Ba-dee-ya, say, do you remember?
Ba-dee-ya, dancin' in September
Ba-dee-ya, never was a cloudy day... (Earth, Wind, and Fire)
@@JoeBManco Wake me when September ends.
Hey Leonard... I have 39 and 56 chainrings, with at 28 - 12 cassette in the back. The only time I ever make it to the large chainring is if I've run out of gear in the back or going down hill. The rest of the time, I'm always in the small chainring if you can call a 39 tooth chainring small.
Oh, and a week from today, Oct 9 as it was summer last week, this week as been like the beginning of November weather and next Wednesday it will be 9F degrees above freezing. Something we don't usually have until mid to the end of December or Christmas time.... So.... whoever has solved Global Warming... would you please stop. I hate the cold.
On a gravel bike? How bizarre, I'm running 30/46 by 11-36 and even changed my older rim brake road bike to that same set up too(ace hill bike, ace Zone 2 bike, ace winter bike), never ran out of gears on any descent and that includes coming off the Bealach Na Ba...
@@BarrioBarranco1 Where did I say anything about a gravel bike?
39 is a lot closer to the old school small chain ring so it sound ideal. Weather wise it’s a nightmare; it either too hot or, more likely, way too cold!
@@nathanwoodruff9422 Oh sorry, silly me thought the topic of the day had something to do with "How slow is my GRAVEL bike" so I made that assumption, if you're just going to waffle about any other bike except a gravel bike maybe make it clearer you've gone off topic. Tell us about your fixie or MTB next time, can't wait lol😂🤣
@@BarrioBarranco1 _"Oh sorry, silly me thought the topic of the day had something to do with "How slow is my GRAVEL bike" "_
With all your intelligence, please tell us all how many other types of bicycles have more than one chainring. Also Please inform everyone how changing the chainring for best biking performance only relates to MTB's.
If you can't tell us that, please tell us all how fast your feelings get hurt when someone talks about subjects you know nothing about.
Make sure you stay on topic as well.
Bonkers Hill?? Crazy talk!
Ah, you may want to listen to that bit again, Charlie!
Is it worth getting dressed up in cycle kit to ride 26km?
Cycle liners under footy shorts. Tee shirt. Musette bag.
Testing climb. "If you can climb a ladder, you can ride a bike up a hill."
Yes.
I haven't seen your videos in while. You're looking well, fitter. Lost weight since you started your channel?
Thanks for saying but, sadly not.
Just a reminder:
Time is relative.
My gravel bike is not slow. Just my road bike is faster and I don’t think it’s a fair comparison when you said that when you were on your road bike, you were pushing the pace to see if you could do it under an hour and this today was supposed to be a zone 2 ride
It was just a quick experiment.
I’m new here…. Are you going downhill or is that an Ebike?
It’s a regular gravel bike, not an e-bike. On some sections I am riding downhill but there is a mix of terrain, including uphill.
72 yo low speed tumble when I looked down, while biking to dinner on the 3rd
Broke hip couldn't get back on , and still can't walk. At least it wasn't a car that got me.
guess that's it . Wanna bike? only 10K miles on it
@@whazzat8015 Ouch! Wishing you a speedy recovery.
@@jollygoodvelo Thanks, sport.
It was just an odd loss of balance slow speed endo, the type done rarely by all of us from time to time , but destroyed with a co-minuted fracture the femoral neck, w/ capsule injury, plus prosthesis and incision damage. A mess. Unable to bear weight for 10d. these are out there for older riders, lurking. , common enough to keep in mind when planning any trip as a rare risk. I was doing 10-25 mpd before the hit. Stuff happens. No real abnormal pathology on the bone fragments, just a combination of the possible "unlucky" torque. I am 2 weeks into 8 weeks projected before walking with a gimp. Good shape will speed recovery, and I am trying to use my recumbent on a trainer rig I set up after a disastrous CABG in the wake of cath with complications (illiac artery laceration a 50% mortality risk event in May).
LSS: procedures have complications and are hard to anticipate, and don't require the help of a distracted motorist for a life changing event..
@@mortenthenorwegian2875 Thanks Morten
It’s counterintuitive, but gravel bikes are faster
It is October not September :)
@@bca-biciclindcuaxel7527 I know but I made this in September!
A True Gravel Bike is meant for off road riding and trail riding..A True Road bike will always be faster then a Gravel bike especiallyon pavement.Now there are All Road Bikes that are Road Bikes with Gravel Tires setup capabilities.But are they a "True Gravel Bike"!!!So Comparing the two bikes is like Apple 🍎 and Orange 🍊 theory 🤭
My road bike is the fastest on the road, my mountain bike is the fastest off road, my Brompton is the fastest (on the train)
Body weight is the biggest speed killer....
@@blaze1148 But what about when the same body and it’s weight is using two different bikes?
@@jollygoodvelo ....the only main difference from a road bike to a gravel bike is the tyres [excluding weight].
.....I was mentioning body weight because some people find it very difficult to lose weight which is very easy with a little research and application.
@@blaze1148 I get that you want me feel a failure somehow for being heavy but how do you explain the speed difference? I haven’t suddenly put on weight between rides. Same rider and weight. Same route, same weather. The only difference is the bike.
@@jollygoodvelo tyres [profile, tread, pressure], wheel bearings, bike balance maybe, upright posture etc etc
...I am not trying to make you feel a failure...you are obviously an intelligent guy which is why I find it very hard to believe when you said you have tried for many years to lose weight without success.
Tip 1:
Try a Keto or carnivore diet
Tip 2
Cut out the highly processed foods
Tip 3
Cut down [out] the carbs
Tip 4
Cut out the snacks between meals
Tip 5
Cut out breakfast
Tip 6
Make your workouts more intensive
Tip 7 [and the most important]
Look into fasting _at least_ a few days a month [preferably after a hard workout]
If these simple tips do not work [which they will] you must be cheating on something.
@@blaze1148 Silly me.
I'm slower on my gravel bike than my road bike by somewhere between 1/2 and 1 mph; about 1 kph. I think this is for a few main reasons: (1) higher rolling resistance as indicated by slower speeds when coasting down hills. (2) Heavier by several pounds and lots of hills on my rides. (3) I am more likely to take a gravel road near my house and avoid the busy road. (4) I'm getting older and my heart is getting more clogged and much of that clogging occurred after I switched to the gravel bike.
Aren't gravel bikes and mountain bikes really like toothe paste for men and toothe paste for women? They just diversify a sales market more than they perform a diverse need.
@@olzt100 Sort of!
I'd say more like razors for men and women, sure you could take a "lady Shave" to your face and the Mrs could use you're a Mach 3 turbo on her legs. But there are differences in design/ergonomics that make them, slightly more than slightly, suited to the task they were designed for.
If you think a gravel bike and a mountain bike are similar, you've not done much actual mountain biking.
@@garyboyle695 But I do not live in the mountains or places with lots of gravel. But these bikes duel a lot in places where my commuter bike travels. So the names are not being applied to what one would expect. And that is my point. It's supposed to be a specialty item but it's use is very everyday. Like people buying running shoes but they never run.
@@garyboyle695 You are right, but to be fair the MTB came first*, so the Gravel bike IS the diversification, there is really nothing you can't do on an MTB that you can do on a gravel bike, albeit at a slower pace to the point of being impractical in some circumstances.
*and I'll get there before someone else does: It could be argued that the Gravel bike actually pre-dates the MTB in all but name because: Randonneur, Tom Richey in the 80's, Offload Touring bikes, CX, UK "rough stuff" riding, the early Grand Tours were all on dirt roads.......etc......etc. 🙄🤣