Road Bike Vs Gravel Bike

There s an entire category of bike called the all road bike which overlaps with gravel bike and road bike at the same time.

Road bike vs gravel bike. A road bike is best fit for traveling on paved paths while the other is built for comfort and can handle all sorts of terrain. So what exactly is the difference between a gravel bike and a road bike. Simply said a gravel bike is a combination of a road bike happy on tarmac and a cyclo cross bike happy on mud. As usual the idea comes from the us where the countryside is crisscrossed by miles and miles of unused tracks designed to help fire trucks navigate around remote forests.

Versatility is the major selling point with any gravel bike. Gravel bike gravel bike vs road bike. What is a gravel bike and why do i need one. At first glance not that different from a cyclocross bike gravel bikes are actually distinct and often closer to an endurance road bike.

Here is a breakdown on the two different styles of bikes and if it is ultimately worth investing in a gravel bike over a road bike for some. Both gravel bikes and road bikes are designed to go fast but they are used on vastly different surfaces. Gravel bikes and road bikes are very similar. Wider wheelsets and specific gravel tyre casings with treads unlike anything you d ever encounter on a road bike have made gravel bikes more confidence inspiring to ride the specialized.

A typical gravel bike will have longer chainstays a longer wheelbase a slacker head tube angle a slacker seat tube angle and a lower bottom bracket than a typical cyclocross bike. In truth they sit somewhere between the two. And that can mean a lot of fun and a fresh look at where and how you ride a gravel bike can raise a smile in so many ways there are lots of. But there are some minor distinctions such as the frame design brakes tires and bike.