Blog

You probably remember the joy of cycling as a child – for many people it’s the first taste of real freedom. Bikes held the key to the wider world, taking us wherever we wanted to go. One day we might ride across town to meet up with friends, another we might set off on an adventure across the fields and into the woods, or go exploring in abandoned places. The bike was a simple tool to take us wherever and whenever we pleased, as long as we were back in time for tea.

These days, it’s easy to feel that cycling has become far too complicated. Whether it’s downhill mountain bike racing, long-distance touring or riding round in circles in a wooden bowl; if you can think of a niche, specialist circumstance, you can probably find a category of bike designed specifically for it. If you’re looking to wring out every last drop of performance from your bike and your body, then that’s absolutely brilliant, but… what if you want to do something else? Modern road racing bikes are phenomenally fast on smooth tarmac, but what if you want to turn off down a dirt track, away from the traffic? Similarly, modern mountain bikes can conquer extreme terrain that we could only dream of a few years ago, but ride one on the road and it feels like riding through treacle, and the riding position makes your arms ache. As each type of bike has become more and more specialised, we’ve started to lose some of the versatility and practicality that made cycling so enjoyable.

That brings us to gravel bikes – and yes, there are different types of gravel bikes for different types of gravel. But it isn’t quite as daft as it might sound…

Jack of All Trades, Master of Fun

While most other categories of bike focus on being really good at one specific thing, gravel bikes drift along somewhere in the middle, not really very good at any one thing, but not terrible at anything either. On the road, you’ll find some reasonably high gears, a fairly efficient riding position and fast-rolling tyres, which help you to hold a decent speed; maybe not quite as fast as a road bike, but not far off. Turn off the tarmac, and you can cruise along forest roads and gravel tracks in confidence, with plenty of easy gears for the climbs.

Forest singletrack is also perfectly feasible – most of the trails you might ride on a cross-country mountain bike will also be possible on a gravel bike as long as it isn’t too muddy. Admittedly, you won’t be going quite as quickly as you would on a mountain bike, but the responsive handling and lighter weight make for an engaging ride even on mellow trails; with plenty of low-speed thrills along the way.

Most gravel bikes also have a few practical features thrown in – many feature mounting points for either traditional pannier bags, or modern bikepacking bags, allowing you to carry luggage, or commute without wearing a sweaty rucksack. Most gravel bikes also tend to have clearance for mudguards; some have fixed mount points for traditional mudguards, others will accommodate clip-on guards which can be easily installed and removed as required. You’ll also find wide, flared handlebars to give a semi-upright, comfortable position, with lots of hand positions to keep you comfortable on longer rides. It won’t be as practical as a dedicated touring bike, but it will certainly be a lot lighter and more fun to ride if you’re not using it purely as a pack-mule.

Add all this together, and you get a bike which is faster on the roads than a mountain bike, more capable off-road than a road bike, and more practical than both, allowing you to cover long distances at a decent speed, over a variety of terrain. The real beauty of a gravel bike is the way that it opens up the map, allowing you to explore new places: quiet places, away from the roads, which are not necessarily big enough to justify driving there to explore on your mountain bike.

In Britain’s patchwork landscape, gravel bikes let you link up roads, lanes, paths, woodlands and wasteland, following ancient routes or finding your own new ones. You’ll get to know your own local area better than ever, and you’ll be able to travel far afield under your own steam on paths less travelled. Sounds great, right?

Which Gravel Bike Should I Buy?

Of course, it wouldn’t be the modern bike industry if there weren’t lots of sub-categories and confusing marketing terms. You’ll find everything from road bikes with slightly bigger tyres, all the way to mountain bikes with curly handlebars. Bear in mind that some bikes like to blur the boundaries, or make their own categories – it’s important to consider your own requirements for practical features, riding position and comfort before making a choice based purely on specification. Just because it has more gears, doesn’t necessarily mean it will be better for you. Here’s a little breakdown of the common types of gravel bike:

Gravel Race Bikes

Gravel race bikes tend to have a more aggressive riding position, not dissimilar to a road bike. The frames are generally made of lightweight carbon fibre or aluminium, with performance-focused components. They often lack mounting points for mudguards or bags, and the frame geometry tends to be better suited to riding fast over tame terrain, rather than tackling technical singletrack. That said, if you have the technical skill, the sharp handling and light weight will allow you to have a lot of fun with trail features. If you’re a roadie looking to ride fast off-road, or a cross-country rider looking for speed on less technical terrain, consider a gravel race bike such as the Colnago G4X, Basso Palta or Trek Checkmate. The carbon fibre version of the Merida Silex is also worth a look – while it has a few more practical features, it’s no slouch, winning the 2023 World Championships. If you fancy something a little more old-school, then Surly’s steel-framed Midnight Special is a fun category-blurring option too.

All-Round Gravel Bikes

All-Round gravel bikes tend to have a slightly more relaxed ride quality than gravel race bikes. The riding position is usually a little more relaxed, and the handlebars often have a more pronounced flare for more off-road control. They’ll quite often feature mount points for mudguards, racks or bikepacking bags (though not always all three), with lower gears to help out on the hills. You’ll find bikes in this category made from all of the common frame materials. Some of our favourites are the Trek Checkpoint, Giant Revolt and Genesis Croix de Fer – these bikes will cover you for everything from quick commutes to bikepacking adventures.

Monster Cross Bikes

Imagine a mountain bike with drop handlebars, and you’ve got yourself a monster cross bike. Most of them tend to have rigid forks, but you get the odd one with suspension forks too. Expect to see wider handlebars, shorter stems, and large mountain bike sized tyres. These bikes might use a mixture of road and mountain bike components for a quirkier build, and you might also find features like dropper seatposts. The gearing is usually considerably lower, so you won’t have the same top speed, but you’ll be able to winch yourself up the steepest of off-road climbs and handle more technical terrain in comfort. These bikes generally have plenty of mounting points for luggage, but the large tyres don’t always work well with mudguards. If you like the sound of this, have a look at the Surly Grappler and Genesis Vagabond. Consider a custom build from a frameset if you can't see a spec you like – there are plenty of options, feel free to ask us for advice.

Common Components

We’ll go into more detail about gravel bike drivetrains another time, but there are a few things to keep in mind. Most gravel bikes tend to use specific parts. You’ll generally find wide rims and wide, lightly treaded tyres, often tubeless. Hydraulic disc brakes are common on most of the mid to high end bikes, giving greater power and reliability. Flared drop handlebars are common, giving a wider hand position for control off-road while maintaining a fairly aerodynamic riding position.

As for gears, you’ll see a mixture of different options, with double or single chainrings up front and a wide range of gears at the back. Not all 1x drivetrains are made equal, with some offering very low gears with big jumps in between, while others offer a broad range and smaller jumps. In general, 2x drivetrains are better if you’re riding a mix of road and off-road, while 1x drivetrains are better for more technical off-road, but there are enough exceptions to make this a pretty useless rule – systems like Campagnolo Ekar and SRAM Red XPLR offer wide ranges with consistent gear jumps good for both road and off-road riding.

It’s best to check the gear ratios on offer with a particular system, rather than just assuming that one system or another is better by default. Consider that the more gears you have, the more sensitive to dirt the system will be: if you’re going to ride a lot in dirty conditions, and don’t like to clean your bike very often, a cheaper 10-speed setup may be a better option for you than a fancy 13-speed one, with lower running costs.

Gravel Bike FAQs:

Isn’t it just a 90s MTB?

Yes, but no. In a way, the gravel bike is the spiritual successor of the original mountain bike – or All-Terrain Bike, as they were often called in the early days. An ATB could ride light trails, load up for tours and smash along quite happily on the road. That said, gravel bikes have the benefit of larger diameter wheels for a smoother ride, modern geometry for better stability, and far more reliable gears and brakes.

Isn’t it just like a hybrid?

They’re both barking up the same tree. If you’re on a limited budget, a hybrid will give you many of the benefits of a gravel bike: a versatile, dependable bike that’s alright in a lot of different situations. However, hybrid bikes tend to be more suited to shorter, local journeys and casual use. The upright riding position, lack of multiple hand positions, and quality of componentry all tend to be aimed towards regular light use rather than big days out or challenging terrain. If you have a budget of £1000 or less, it is definitely worth considering hybrid bikes to get more for your money.

What about cyclocross bikes?

Cyclocross bikes are great, and they’ve been crashing around off-road since long before gravel bikes existed. However, as with most other categories of bike, they’ve evolved to suit the specific regulations of cyclocross racing. With a maximum tyre size of 33 mm and the need to regularly shoulder your bike to run with it, CX bikes have become very specific beasts. As a general rule, cross bikes have straight top tubes, few if any mounting points, high bottom brackets and twitchy, agile handling. All these things make them very good at cyclocross racing, but not so good as a general purpose bike. Can you ride gravel on a ‘cross bike? Absolutely, but you might have a nicer time on a gravel bike. Can you race ‘cross on a gravel bike? Of course, but you’ll need to swap your tyres, and you’ll be at a disadvantage compared to people on dedicated CX bikes. If you like the sound of sliding around in a muddy field on a Sunday afternoon, check out the Trek Boone.

Can I use one for touring?

Yes you can! You can load up most gravel bikes with a combination of panniers, fork bags, handlebar bags, frame bags… there are plenty of different ways to carry things on a gravel bike. However, if you’re planning to cover longer distances in more remote areas, carrying a large quantity of stuff, you may prefer the simplicity, dependability and rigidity of a dedicated touring bike. Touring bikes are built to handle heavy loads, and generally have basic, easily serviceable parts, with no performance aspirations. Check out bikes like the Surly Disc Trucker and Ridgeback Panorama if you’re planning to cross a continent.

Looking to go a little further off the beaten track? Consider an adventure bike instead

Gravel Riding in Stoke

Stoke might not have many redeeming features, but it is a great place to ride a gravel bike. There are plenty of old railway tracks and canal towpaths, as well as nature reserves and woodlands, and old industrial land to explore. We’re also close to some longer distance routes not too far away in the peak district. If you’re new to gravel riding, here are a few options to consider:

In the north of the city, the Biddulph Valley Way runs from Stockton Brook up through Biddulph to Congleton. From here, you can join up with the Macclesfield Canal back to Kidsgrove, where you can also link up with the Salt Line through Alsager and Sandbach.

Heading west through Newcastle, there’s plenty of places to explore through Apedale and Silverdale country parks, easily accessible via the old Newcastle-Market Drayton railway line.

To the south, the Trent and Mersey canal runs down all the way to Cannock Chase, where you can easily spend a day exploring the trails, while to the east, the Caldon canal runs out from the city centre with branches towards Leek and the Churnet Valley. These routes are best tackled after a spell of dry weather.

Further afield, there are several easy rail trail routes in the peak district – the Manifold Trail, Tissington Trail and High Peak Trail are worth a look. For a little more adventure, there’s also Macclesfield Forest. Cycling UK, the National Cycle Network and websites such as Komoot and UK Gravel Maps are very useful resources for route planning, while Garmin or Strava users can make use of heatmaps to see which routes are popular with other riders.

As always, be considerate of walkers and other trail users. Use Ordnance Survey maps to check if you’re legally allowed to cycle on a trail, and don’t trespass on private property. Cows particularly dislike bikes, and they can run much faster than you think. Enjoy the ride.

Feel free to give us a call or drop us an email for more information.