As one of many two important occasions for the Cyclingnews Awards, finding out that are the finest gravel bikes wasn’t a straightforward one. I say ‘are’ reasonably than ‘is’ as a result of the extra testing we accomplished as a workforce on the cohort of bikes, the extra we got here to the realisation that there is not a single ‘finest gravel bike’.
The style is so various, as various because the wants of particular person riders and their respective ambitions, that we have determined to not identify an total finest. Deciding one of the best total between a race-oriented bike that is excellent at being a gravel race bike, and a gnarly pseudo-MTB that is extremely good in that house is like evaluating chalk and cheese, and deciding for some cause that cheese is best.
To be able to preserve issues related we have additionally carried out a value cap of £4,000, or the equal in {dollars} or euros, as we’ve got performed with our highway bikes grouptest. In line with our analysis, someplace between £3,000 and £4,000 is the commonest value bracket for customers in search of a brand new bike, so with this in thoughts we known as in as many gravel bikes as we might and set about testing them again to again.
From that testing, we have picked out 4 that all of us beloved for distinct causes: An excellent possibility if you wish to go quick off (and on) highway, a grin-inducing monster that sits on the very fringe of what it means to be a gravel bike, a veritable champion of versatility that is prime for bike-packing, and one which represents a superb worth all-rounder.
Collectively we have realized just a few issues within the midst of testing that, no matter anything, will enable you to as and if you come to purchase a brand new bike, and we might be sharing all of our learnings sooner or later. For now, although, let’s get into our winners.
Most enjoyable
If having enjoyable is your goal then the YT Szepter must be prime of your record. It by no means did not put a smile on our faces, particularly the extra lumpy and steep the terrain bought. The geometry is so completely different to all the pieces else that it felt like a unique style of motorbike for lots of the time. Unsurprisingly, given the lengthy and slack geometry and the suspension fork, it was simply probably the most confidence inspiring descender, although curiously not essentially any sooner. Extra comfy, however in case you’re joyful getting rattled about you will not truly achieve any actual time over a inflexible bike on the whole phrases.
What actually stunned us was how nicely it climbed. The very steep seat tube angle, borrowed from the manufacturers mountain bikes presumably, together with the wonderful gear vary on provide from the SRAM Power drivetrain, meant it climbed higher than anything on take a look at on steep, techy stuff. The Rockshox Rudy fork has an enormous half to play on this too, as regardless of being modest in journey it means on lumpy climbs you get knocked off line far much less often. We have been all capable of stay seated the place, on different bikes, we might discover ourselves out and in of the saddle.
It is price noting that that is solely the case on the steeper, techy climbs, because it’s one of many heavier bikes on take a look at with the addition of suspension bob due to a scarcity of a lockout for the fork.
One other winner for us was the ending equipment. Not solely do you get digital gearing, and a suspension fork, however there are bottle bosses galore, built-in fenders, and Zipp bars, stem and seatpost. A spherical seatpost, too, in order to just accept a dropper sooner or later do you have to want to improve, as is the case with the pricier Szepter Core 4.
If ‘gravel’ to you is extra of a vacation spot journey, the place you may take the bike to the journey by automobile, then that is positively going to be up your alley. It will make you are feeling like a extra succesful rider when the going will get tough.
It is not all sunshine and roses although, as with elevated gnar comes some drawbacks. The very excessive entrance finish (attributable to each the body design and the suspension journey) and wider bars imply any time the tempo rises and also you stick your nostril within the wind it’s noticeably held again. The tyres do not assist this, as they’ve a really flat profile, however I am glad YT has determined to spec an acceptable tyre for the bike’s use case; semi-slicks would have been daft. You may even have elevated servicing prices due to the suspension, and there’s a cranium on the seat tube (which I nonetheless cringe at once I give it some thought now), and on easy terrain the dealing with is extraordinarily mellow, maybe too mellow, however all acceptable trade-offs for if you wish to get shreddy.
Finest racer
Whereas Josh, Tom, and I all love an important number of using kinds, we do all have a shared love of properly-dialled-in quick bikes. One bike among the many take a look at cohort stood out as a super racer greater than any others: The Vitus Venon Evo GR.
Considered one of our key takeaways from testing was that gravel bikes are higher on the extra excessive ends of the spectrum, by which I imply all of us loved the very racy or very rowdy choices, however have been left a bit underwhelmed by these which tried to be all issues to all individuals. The Venon Evo GR from Vitus is not attempting to attain that; it’s extremely a lot velocity focussed. Technically, it is not even a gravel bike, however reasonably the gravel spec of a real Jekyll & Hyde ‘all-road’ machine. The frameset is accessible in each a road-going and off-road construct, and reasonably unsurprisingly given how a lot we loved the GR spec, the highway ‘RS’ possibility has additionally been awarded an honorable point out in our parallel highway bike grouptest.
The frameset is not adorned with a slew of bosses as is the norm for a lot of within the section, nevertheless it’s not held again due to it. No fork mounts, no prime tube bosses, none slung beneath the downtube, however crucially there are mounting factors for mudguards, one thing which I believe must be customary on many extra bikes. The construct can be glorious, particularly contemplating the value. You get digital shifting, a large gear vary (maybe a bit over-geared for steep terrain, however glorious for sooner using), deep carbon wheels, glorious tyres, a spherical seat put up, and an aero cockpit that’s nonetheless extra simply adjusted than a one-piece setup. The bars all of us particularly beloved, primarily for the form of the drops: The primary portion of the curve is narrowed and barely ovalised, making them extraordinarily comfy within the arms, and on the ends they widen and develop into spherical, creating an efficient stopper that provides a really locked in feeling.
Greater than the spec, and the truth that it seems to be actually good, was the best way it rides. Greater than another, it coaxed pointless sprints out of every of us, straightforward accelerations over rises, and steady, assured descending. On the highway it not often felt an obstacle, outperforming all comers on this regard. The Fairlight Secan is able to matching it, however not with this spec of wheels and tyres. On nontechnical gravel it is chic. It is steady, however nonetheless vigorous sufficient to be nice enjoyable. The entrance finish is a bit slower than the Fairlight, however to not any diploma that could be a concern for a quick possibility. All of us remarked too that it had a really feel much like that of a cyclocross bike, however with out the excessive backside bracket that may make issues really feel reasonably unstable at occasions.
As ever there are some drawbacks, however they’re few and much between. In reality, the one actual one price mentioning, past the dearth of bosses which I do not see as a detrimental on a motorbike equivalent to this, is the seatpost clamp. On the advisable torque the seatpost slips down commonly, because it additionally did on the highway model. All in all, if you need a gravel bike for going quick, particularly on blended floor highway and gravel rides, then the Venon Evo-GR could be our choose.
Finest for bikepacking
The Fairlight Secan has been my trustworthy long run take a look at bike for a 12 months or so at this level, and it is modified rather a lot over that point. For the awards although I swapped it again to the ‘unique’ spec, with just a few exceptions that are not ever issues I might decide a motorbike on anyway, or no less than not out of context. Right here the saddle, bar tape, and headset are exterior the scope, however I believe you may forgive me for not swapping them.
The ‘Finest for bikepacking’ title is, in my eyes, maybe higher described as ‘most versatile’. During the last 12 months, I’ve tried to search out one thing the Secan cannot do, and for probably the most half I’ve failed. The center of the bike is a high-end metal body and carbon fork that may be turned to something you select. It may possibly settle for the widest tyres of the bunch, as much as 2.4in with 650b rims. There are further mounts on the body beneath the downtube, and on the fork legs, plus correct mounts for a pannier rack and mudguards too. You possibly can conceivably race it by means of a desert with bikepacking luggage and run it as a highway bike with a change of wheels and tyres; I respect many gravel bikes can run a variety of tyres, however not often to this width.
Regardless of having the ability to carry mainly any bikepacking setup you possibly can consider, the geometry can be maybe probably the most road-oriented of the take a look at cohort. Which means that on the highway it feels improbable, lithe, and agile, and even with monumental tyres fitted it by no means feels sluggish, but it nonetheless has the power to encourage confidence off-road with the extra cushion of some greater rubber. Reality be informed I do not a lot take care of the Panaracer GravelKing SK tyres, however they work positive as an all-rounder. Buying a Fairlight is a extra bespoke bundle anyway, as you possibly can choose from many various choices from the off, reasonably than a set bundle, and until you are using very techy gravel often, I think you may have a greater time on 700c.
One other absolute winner on this regard is the truth that, for this value, you will get a motorbike with GRX Di2, which, to our eyes, continues to be the gold customary for gravel groupsets regardless of its age. The shifting is immaculate, the gear vary ample, it really works when completely filthy, it is dependable, and the hoods are one of the best on the market too. We would say that if the price range wants you to, it is price down-speccing on wheels to get a greater groupset on the level of buy, as upgrading wheels down the road is less complicated than a groupset swap.
Lastly, it is also a improbable bike to stay with. The hoses (and cables when you’ve got them) are all exterior, it has a ‘regular’ headset and a threaded backside bracket, a two-piece cockpit, and a spherical seatpost with a traditional clamp. It would not creak, issues do not slip, and when the time comes to repair or change components it is a delightfully easy endeavour on the entire.
In case you want extra convincing I’ve already written a full evaluate of the bike, which I’ll quickly be updating to replicate my 12 months with it. On the time of writing, it is also the one bike I’ve ever deigned worthy of a five-star rating.
Finest worth
A great variety of the gravel take a look at fleet fell into that ‘do all of it’ class. For probably the most half, these bikes have been those that left us a bit chilly, however they do signify, particularly on the worth finish of the spectrum, a jumping-off level. Perhaps you do not know if you need a quick gravel bike or one designed to hit the odd MTB line, possibly you wish to hedge your bets, and that is positive.
The Boardman ADV 9.4 was, for us, one of the best jumping-off level. You get a carbon body and a good groupset for an important value, together with smart design decisions like semi-integrated cables, a spherical seatpost, an exterior seat clamp, and a two-piece cockpit, that means as and if you wish to change issues up the method is easy and forgiving.
If you wish to take it bikepacking you have bought bosses on the down tube and on the highest tube, although none on the forks. You possibly can slap some highway tyres on and it will make a superb commuter within the week to. The inventory tyres, and the edges too, are slim by trendy requirements and do maintain the bike again a bit off-road, however if you study it is simply £600 cheaper than equally specced competitor bikes you possibly can most likely think about a tyre improve and nonetheless have change for just a few beers.
The journey itself was completely ample, although it did not enamour us as a lot because the choices above. It was extra a case that each one the general-purpose gravel bikes rode comparatively equally, and so value grew to become the defining issue; why pay extra for the same expertise? It simply held its personal towards costlier choices from extra premium manufacturers, and as such it greater than deserves a finest worth award.
In case you’re indecisive about what you need from a gravel bike, or you might be shopping for on a price range, then this must be the one for you. Even in case you aren’t on a price range, you’d do nicely to cost down and kind your self out with just a few alternative upgrades with the spare change in your pocket.