LibraRider
Well-Known Member
Which is best for long distance?
What’s the difference between the two?
What’s the difference between the two?
Road Bike vs Gravel Bike
- Thread starter LibraRider
- Start date
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vickster
Legendary Member
When you say long distance what do you mean? Day rides, touring, multi day stuff
This might help
https://www.welovecycling.com/wide/2016/06/23/gravel-bike-vs-road-bike-whats-difference/
https://www.road.cc/content/buyers-guide/249347-graveladventure-bike-all-you-need?amp
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vickster
Legendary Member
Also what’s your budget, gravel bikes being newer to the market (marketeers latest thing), will cost more. While road bikes have been around for ever so used you’ll likely get a better spec for less cash, you’ll have a wide choice of drop bar road bikes for £300-500, while a decent spec on a gravel will be £500+ (possibly more)
Ming the Merciless
There is no mercy
- Location
- Inside my skull
Clearances for wider tyres on gravel bikes. The rest is detail based on a manufacturers interpretation.
Cycleops
Legendary Member
- Location
- Accra, Ghana
Depends what type of road bike. A racier road bike will have a short wheelbase acute frame angles and close clearances with usually no room for guards. Others might be more relaxed with more clearance.
A gravel bike will have relaxed geometry possibly with a sloping top tube, wider tyre clearance and a longer wheelbase. Usually will have fittings and clearance for guards and racks.
All should be able to cover long distances but heavier wider tyres on gravel bikes will feel sluggish in comparison to narrower faster road bike tyres but more comfortable.
Steering will feel sharper on racier road bikes.
A gravel bike will have relaxed geometry possibly with a sloping top tube, wider tyre clearance and a longer wheelbase. Usually will have fittings and clearance for guards and racks.
All should be able to cover long distances but heavier wider tyres on gravel bikes will feel sluggish in comparison to narrower faster road bike tyres but more comfortable.
Steering will feel sharper on racier road bikes.
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Racing roadkill
Guru
The Gravel bike is basically a drop bar road bike, with frame clearances for fatter tyres than typically found on a road bike, nearly always hydraulic disc brakes, a higher positioned bottom bracket than a typical road bike, gearing that is typically lower than most hardcore road bikes, and usually a more relaxed geometry than a typical hardcore road bike. In years gone by, a cyclocross bike would suffice for any riding that a ‘gravel bike’ is designed to tackle, the problem was ( or wasn’t depending on your point of view ) was that the CX bikes were really designed, and geared for the sport of cyclocross ( hard / racy geometry, and racy gearing) and they had extra bits on them, like frog leg brake levers on the bars, again designed to help in the sport of cyclocross. ‘Gravel bikes’ are basically ‘soft CX bikes’. The typically bigger tyres, and more laid back geometry of the Gravel bike, should make for a more comfortable choice for distance riding, than most typical ‘road bikes’, but it’s very subjective.
SkipdiverJohn
Deplorable Brexiteer
- Location
- London
So, a bit like a Touring bike then? But without the latest industry marketing waffle.
Racing roadkill
Guru
Precisely
SkipdiverJohn
Deplorable Brexiteer
- Location
- London
That's great. So I don't actually need a "gravel" bike after all then, as I've already got one. The problem for the bike industry is my one was made in 1985 and is still going strong. That's not good. Quality, long-lasting bikes plus satisfied owners = not generating enough repeat business. So they need to convince me that the idea of frames with decent tyre clearances and non-crippling geometry is a brand new thing that no-one in the history of bicycle making, has ever thought of before.
Racing roadkill
Guru
Welcome to the wonderful world of big business and marketing.
chriswoody
Legendary Member
- Location
- Northern Germany
Too a large degree I agree with you, so much so, that last January I stuck some 38mm gravel tyres on my old 1993 Dawes Super Galaxy and went gravel biking for a year. I even took the bike bikepacking up the Brocken mountain here in North Germany. However, whilst it was a good and competent gravel bike, it wasn't all rosy in the land of old bikes. The 38mm tyres were just a tad to big and were rubbing in the inside of the chainstay and the 27gear triple chain ring set up worked wonderfully off-road, however the bar end shifters are really not ideal off-road, where the bars are being constantly jostled around. Coupled with old cantilevers that are a pig to keep maintaining and then every time you braked on muddy rims you heard that joyous sandpaper sound of the rims wearing away under the brake blocks.
Gravel bikes need to be thought of on a scale, with pure road bikes that have slightly fatter tyres and occasional forays onto gravel, at one end, and then the other end are bikes that are essentially 29'er mountain bikes with drop bars, at the other. My old galaxy sat quite comfortably at the lower end of the scale and if that was my need then I would probably still be using it on a daily basis. However, I had a hankering to go more towards the other end and wanted something that could handle more demanding trail riding as well as still be comfortable and reasonably nippy on the road.
The Kona Sutra LTD that I purchased is a revelation after the old Galaxy. It still has a steel frame, because at heart I still love a bit of tradition, however, it has Hydraulic discs a 1x11 drivetrain and a STI lever to take care of the shifting. It also has clearance for up to 50mm tubeless tyres, which will handle the kind of riding I'm doing much better.
Interestingly, I'm no faster on this bike than the old Galaxy, however, the bike is much more comfortable in this environment, no creaks or groans from the frame as I slam it through the potholes, I have also ventured onto much more adventurous terrain than I could take the Galaxy, the fatter, lower pressure tyres roll much easier over everything. Crucially the gears are a revelation, only a rear shifter to worry about and quick fast efficient changes from a stable position on the bars, no need to move my hands around to change gear. The brakes are quite simply brilliant as well and with the added knowledge of the fact that I'm not wearing the rims out.
A marketing mans triumph or just a much more efficient and capable machine for mixed terrain riding?
DRM
Guru
- Location
- West Yorks
Having just purchased a gravel bike, the best thing about it is that you can link bridle ways and fire roads, with tarmac sections, which I wouldn’t want to do on my road bikes, as for tyres being slower rolling, the Schwalbe G-One speeds roll very well indeed, in fact it’s a genuine all rounder, would actually work out cheaper to have this and two sets of wheels, one with knobbly tyres, one with slicks, after all I aren’t going to be racing any time soon
OP
OP
LibraRider
Well-Known Member
vickster
Legendary Member
Any roadbike will do that. Mudguards are a good idea if riding in wet conditions so check for clearance
Checkout the Planet X clearance page. They've got quite a few bikes that are well spec'd for the price. https://www.planetx.co.uk/c/q/deals/clearance/clearance-bikes
