The bike is designed for adventure, to be raced at a gran fondo and still get off the beaten track. The stock wheels are tough and form a great foundation for WTB’s 45mm wide Riddler tyres, though the Boost axle spacing could make potential upgrades more complicated. We love the timeless look of this bike and its ride delivers a pleasantly damped feel that’s devoid of fatiguing buzz. Despite being the cheapest aluminium frame Canyon Grail build, it’s still a very well equipped bike with no obvious holes in its spec sheet. Flat bars make you more upright than drops – given that frame, stem, spacers and everything is the same – but should they be?
While s share a lot in common with road models, pavement-oriented shoes typically have smooth and flat outsoles that make walking on gravel uncomfortable and cumbersome. Alternatively, XC pedals and shoes still are lightweight yet feature a much more walkable and more comfortable outsole. For pedals, we like Shimano’s clipless 520 SPD in particular—we’ve put over 5,000 miles on ours and have been very impressed. In terms of shoes, we recommend an option like Giro’s Cylinder or Shimano’s XC3—they’re light, affordable, stiff enough for efficient power transfer, and still very comfortable for time spent off the bike.
Another bike developed with Vroomen Engineering, the OPEN WI.DE’s geometry ($5,900) is nearly identical to 3T’s Exploro Max, down to the dual dropping chainstays . Alchemy’s Ronin ($9,000) is for the rider who appreciates top-drawer parts. The frame alone lists for $4,000, with full builds starting at $7,500 and topping out at $10,500.
Something a bit slacker will probably leave you with a bigger smile on your face. The Checkpoint also features mounts galore and bash guards on the down tube and chainstays. The drive-side chainstay has also been dropped to allow for additional tyre clearance as well as room for a wider variety of front chainrings. We’ve always been fervent admirers of the Specialized Diverge and its ever-evolving skillset. It really comes into its own when you descend off-road, thanks to its high stack, long reach and short step.
And don’t forget a CO2 inflation kit or a hand-held bike pump. Regardless of tire size, if there’s one thing we learned while testing bikes in Utah, it’s that tire pressure truly matters. Almost all the bikes sent had tires inflated tight as a drum. If you find a bike you like with two front chainrings, you’ll want to double-check the tire clearance. For example, Scott’s Addict, a 2×12 speed bike, has clearance for a 35mm tire but not much more.
Wilier claims a painted size medium Jena frame tips the scales at 995g, which is pretty feathery for a bike designed to withstand the rigours that come with leaving paved roads. The Factor LS boasts an incredibly lightweight frame, weighing just 950g, and is billed as an all-out race machine. When we tested it out we found it to be truly impressive. It’s without a doubt, a no-holds-barred gravel racer that feels rich and offers all the speed and feedback you’d need when racing between the tape. As the range’s second-highest model, the 6.8 is kitted out with a mixture of Shimano GRX 600 and 800 drivetrain components, as well as Novatec tubeless-ready wheels and WTB Riddler tyres. We were one of the first to test the Focus Atlas 6.8 gravel bike prior to its release, and we found it to be tough, versatile and adaptable.
The solution is to ride with your hands on the top of the bars. Even then, you’re still leaning further forward than you would be with flat bars. The solution to this is to raise your handlebars up. This will cost you some aerodynamic advantage though. Stretching back to 1906, the Wilier Triestina is one of the premium bike manufacturers on the market. Their premium bikes also include gravel bikes for the cyclists who look for adventure.
The range-topping S-Works Diverge comes dressed in a combination of SRAM’s road and mountain bike electronic components. The best giant ROAD BIKESs are vastly more capable than their pavement-dwelling siblings and are allowing riders to get away from traffic and explore their local environment in a totally new way. The fire road that was too rough for your 25c road bike tyres is no big deal on the best gravel tyres, and that double-track full of big rocks that sneak up on you is a breeze on 700c gravel wheels. Handlebars play a major role in the comfort and handling of your bike. The choice between flat bars and drop bars comes down to your riding style, where you ride, and personal preference.
Gravel and adventure bikes need to be durable to handle the rougher terrain and riding surfaces you’ll encounter. Likewise, they need impeccable handling and stability as well as mounts to confidently haul your gear and accessories. Gravel bikes can fit big tires for dirt and gravel tracks or lighter tires for the pavement. We’ve been building and refining bikes like this for over a decade. The handling is a bit more stable than our Adventure Road bike with room for even larger tires, thus making it more confident on rough terrain.
As expected, the Aspero’s road-inspired geometry and build make it far less stable and more prone to getting knocked around on steep and rowdy descents. Put another way, it’s the polar opposite of the Evil Chamois Hagar above, giant KIDS BIKES which crushes the downhills at the expense of power and efficiency when pedaling. It’s also worth noting the max tire width for the Aspero is 42 millimeters, which is a few millimeters less than most designs on this list.