I've went down this route and got rid of all my road race bikes. I opted for the Cervelo Aspero 5 and 30c tires for road and 43c tires off-road. I like that the geometry is more aggressive than most gravel bikes but I also like that it feels closer to my road bike since I'm primarily using on the road. And the lime shimmer paint looks awesome. With this bike and two wheelsets, I've replaces three bikes and gained more room in the garage. I would've mentioned the Cervelo Aspero, BMC Kaius, Factor Ostro, Ventum GS1, and Scott Addict. In my opinion, I think if you go down the gravel race bike route, you're bound to find a better road bike out of it as the geometry is closer.
@@DesignandrewI had a Boltcutter High Country which was my dedicated gravel bike. Then I had a BMC Team Machine and an S-Works Tarmac SL7 as my road bikes. I first decided I didn't need the race bikes anymore. I didn't race anymore, I wasn't as fast as I used to be in my old age, and I had to get rid of that competitive side of cycling and that made it easier to transition to just having a do it all bike and not the N+1 philosophy. Now that's the Aspero for me, I like it on the road as long as I'm just riding for fun it does the trick and can go just as fast. It's just if you want a weight reduction and quick acceleration for the road you won't find it here. It's about 19 lbs. to lug around but it handles great. I still have an old Giant TCR with mechanical SRAM Red that is 14 pounds, that I use as a road bike should I want to get a little more serious about climbing and such, but mainly it sits on the trainer.
When I first built my 3T Exploro in early 2018 I only had a set of 60mm deep road wheels with 25mm road tires. I had a wonderful summer riding that setup. Only toward the end of 2018 did I get a set of 650b wheels with gravel tires. In 2019 I rode all the way from Stockholm to Amsterdam on those road wheels and tires. I don't ride that combination anymore, but that's only because I got myself a Strada and put those wheels on that bike instead.
I ride only 1 bike. it's a 2019 Giant Advanced Revolt (1) - 1x drivetrain. I put on a 35mm Panaracer Gravel Slick and use it on the road and gravel. Not as fast as other bikes out there, but fine for my rec road rides, and slow intermediate gravel rides. I prefer riding gravel, but usually my rides from home are 30-40% pavement, and 60-70% gravel or rail trail. Last year was my 1st full season with it, and enjoyed it on both. I'm not the fittest rider, as my FTP is only 2.1W/kg on my initial zwift ramp test.
My gravel/road bike is a 2021 Kona Libre CR. OEM 650b x 47 WTB Venture tires. “Road” setup is DTSwiss CR1600 wheels with 700c x 38 Teravail Rampart Light & Supple. Tubeless for both. Works for me.
I don't agree with your Crux assessment, the Crux is PERFECT for road/gravel dual use. For example, you say that the Mog is "much more aggressive" that the Crux is "taller" etc. None of that is true. The Enve Mog has a higher stack than the Crux, slacker angles than the Crux and a longer wheelbase than the Crux. The BB height and drop are basically the same between these bikes. The Crux is significantly lighter and not festooned with mounts like the Mog. The Revolt, Grail, Mog etc are all more "true" gravel bikes while the Crux is essentially an Aethos road bike with more tire clearance.
I thought that assessment was strange too. The stacks are the exact same. The Crux is a little longer, etc. The Crux feeling more “on top” is its cross roots… and not a bad thing for the road. Seems like a way better road option than a MOG which doesn’t seem like a road bike in any way at all.
I like your assessment here. I am thinking of a Crux but I'm worried it would be exhausting on washboard type gravel. I'm currently on an all steel Surly Straggler and I love the ride, stiffness, versatility and durability but it is about 7.3 lbs for the frame and fork.
You are exactly right. David really messed up his assessment here and literally contradicted himself between the Crux and the MOG. The MOG is a beautiful machine no doubt, but for the topic of this video the Crux is the top bike. It literally does it all and that's what his video was about.
I’m confused, I thought the Mog and Cruz would both be considered gravel ‘race’ bikes based on their stack/reach geo. The Mog is more versatile for bike packing, etc, while the Crux is much more minimalist and light weight.
I have just built up a Revolt frame as a road bike. SRAM Axs 2x12 with 48/35, 32 mm tyres on reserve Road wheels. Makes a perfect road bike. Just put in my gravel wheels if I want. In fact I intend riding it the Gravel Worlds in Belgium later this year. The other great thing about the Revolt is that it takes proper full mudguards. So a winner bike as well.
Cervelo Aspero with 2 sets of wheels is my current 2in1 option. 650b wheels with wide gravel tyres (most gravel I have near me is really light mountain biking) and a set of 700c wheels with road tyres.
Ritchey Swiss Cross is my go to bike, 700x38c tires and I ride almost everywhere with it. It's the bike I take with me when I go away for a weekend or a week and it soaks up the rough back roads and trails and let's me explore.
Currently building up a purple sunset Aspero5 with Ultegra Di2 and 40mm gravel tires. I'm also getting a second set of wheels for 35mm semi-slicks for road days!
That Allied Echo bike is the real deal as a geometry changer from road too gravel set up with those geometry chip spacers front & rear axle. The reason I say real deal geometry changer for the Allied Echo is my racing experience with my Puegeot Pro team racing bike I had while racing in the late 90's, it had variable geometry built into the rear axle line ,a very handy when you wanted to go from rough stuff to super smooth criterium fast handling. There was limitions due to the tyre sizes you could put on such a bike ( it was a 80's & 90's era racing bike after all) but that was a very smooth bike to ride either on the rough stuff or smooth. Bikes these days with carbon fibre construction/aluminum have gone to far in the specialist purpose zone of use compared to bikes built out of good steel frames like Renyolds531 tubing & so forth, the ride comfort feel with good steel frames is something you just can't get without spending your hard earnt income at a stagering level these days with carbon fibre/aluminum bikes.
My gravel bike IS my road bike ( form when rides are mostly endurance road) - a 2018 Why R+ Titanium (its what they called an All road bike back then, before the term "gravel" became a cath all term). My R+ takes up to 700 x 47mm tires, and I got two wheelsets: one for road with 45mm deep - 32mm panaracer tires and for gravel 38mm deep x 40 mm nobbies for gravel. Both set up tubeless for lower pressures and self sealing on punctures. Its been perfect for me !
Thanks for the video, great content as always. I did just get a Canyon Grail 2 and looked at other bike manufacturers. Since Canyon has such good pricing, I was able to buy a Hunt road wheelset and still spend less.
Rondo from Poland also offer gravel bikes with all sorts of frame materials (steel, aluminium, titanium, carbon), drivetrain layouts (1x or 2x) and variable geometry using a fork insert for the through-axle, and I'm thinking if you picked the one you liked and you set it up with a 27.5 inch gravel wheelset for the slack position (maybe with a bigger front tire to make it even slacker) and a 28 inch road wheelset for the sporty position you could also very much get two completely different bikes out of it.
I was doing this a few years back on a Grail AL 7. I put a set of Hunt All Road Wheels with Panaracer Gravel king slicks and didn't feel the need to change wheels. Just changed the tire pressure if I was on a strictly road ride. Then I picked up a carbon frame Endurance thinking I was going to feel a big difference... I did not. Grail is still number 1 in my book!
I’ve got a 1st gen Grail SLX and love it but find my self attracted to the Lauf Seigler with the new Eagle gearing an ideal mount for me in this part of Australia
I have a Giant Revolt Advanced 0 and I ride it on the road with Ffwd Ryot 33 with tubeless 28mm Conti tyres. It's at least as fast as my 2014 Canyon Endurace CF9 and much more comfortable. It's a terrific dual purpose machine and swapping out the wheelsets is easy once you set up the discs with some shims. Not rub. No adjustments
I’m running a 2019 carbon Diverge as my winter road bike. The 2019 model is before the current one went slacker. 72.5deg head angle is only half a degree off a Tarmac SL5, but with a 33mm longer wheelbase. Although the latest Roubaix in the same 56cm is 1mm longer! With 32c 4Seasons tyres and 105 Di2, it’s been great throughout winter. Maybe it’s just my local area, but I’m not sure where everyone is finding these gravel roads, as there are none near me in Bedfordshire.
I also use a 2019 diverge. I have two sets of wheels, One with 35 slicks for the winter. The other has 40 mm gravel tires on it for the gravel. you are spot on with the geometry. It really has road geometry. Specialized went with the trend for longer lower and slacker after this model. It’s really my favorite bike
I'm gonna join in the "Why my bike is not there" whining club too! :D Rose Backroad that has a bit shorter rear fork then usually on gravel bikes. Also shorter top tube and lower stem than Grizl for example. Very stable on trails, like a train while full loaded on bike packing tours. Then last autumn I bought a 45mm carbon wheels with 32mm rougher road tyres and damn that vehicle got a second personality :D
I've been doing this for a couple years now with a proper gravel bike (titanium Lynskey GR300) and multiple wheelsets. For me, one of the important aspects is having gravel gearing , in this case Shimano GRX 2x 600. Also, a set of 650b x 47 knobby tires really works well on chunky as well as sandy patches. As much as I love road riding, I much prefer the versatility of the gravel setup and I always appreciate the lower gears when climbing. Cheers!
I bought a Giant Contend AR for my road bike. Its more road like than the revolt but can also be a gravel bike with clearance up to 40 mm. I think its perfect. I really cant buy a traditional road bike because i am six foot 3 and 295 pounds. Most road bikes dont support someone much size. The giant does very well.
I fell into this 'one bike to do it all' trap about 20 years ago with a cyclocross bike. It was slow on the road and limited in the offroad terrain it could handle. A hardtail mountain bike is great on gravel roads to single track. A road bike is faster and more efficient for group rides or centuries.
I have been down the Google rabbit hole for 4 days, trying to figure out what is the best bike for me….this video just made this choice so much easier. Thank you
I am going for the Secan - It’s the only company providing sizes for riders with long and short legs! And that for less money than envee, specialized or whatever!
Love my Trek Checkpoint SL that I use as gravel and road bike swapping wheelsets for each use. Still fast enough (for me) as a roadbike but great as a gravel bike too. Meanwhile, my older Specialized Diverge from 2019 has been converted to my commuter with mudguards and a tailfin rack so its definitely now a road bike too...
Thx! I think you forgot to mention the Canyon Grizl to do both jobs very well. Actually I am between the Crux - which I prefer over the Enve from geometry - and the Grizl. From the price point everything speaks for the Grizl XPLR for actually unbelievable 2500€ which should also be considered. Cheers from NorthGermany
David, Blackheart allroad fits too. Now they’ve realised an AL with the same geo as their Ti could be a good opportunity to compare and ride both in equal specs, no better way to judge differences in frame materials on quality of ride.
Hi David, I have two suggestions both of which I own. First my Genesis CdF Ti, which was probably one of the first gravel do it all all bike on the market. I originally bought mine to use as a winter bike. Mounts for proper mudguards. Currently run 32mm tyres on the road as my winter bike but plenty of room to run larger tyres and mudguards. Take off the mud guards and switch to gravel wheels with gravel tyres. I typically ride 7,000 to 8,000 on the road in winter every year. As a gravel bike in the summer. My other suggestion from a bike I own. Is my Basso Palta 2. A super quick and light gravel race bike. Switch to a set of road wheels and it is a great road bike. I also often do 100 miles rides which are a slit between other road sections linked up by road sections. I find just not much slower than my road bike considering I use 40 mm gravel race tyres for such ride. I also have a Giant Revolt which I use as my winter mud gravel bike . From my experience I not convinced it works as a road bike as well as I thought it would.
Kind of surprised not to see some of the ‘racier’ gravel bikes like a 3T RaceMax or an Aspero, and I share being puzzled over the characterization of the Crux. To my mind that’s the bike that’s closest to pure road in this lot.
As someone said in the comments, people sleeps on the TCX, and i guess it's because it's a ... CX bike and doesn't fit on the labels?The Allied Echo has a pretty agressive geometry (on picture). I don't want to say it's similar to the TCX because people will call the error with the geometry details, but it's a bike that it's passed a lot. After a couple of years, i just sold my road and mtb to just keep a TCX as my all-around.
My Trek Checkpoint with road tires has no loss in avg speed over long endurance rides with my other bikes, racing might be a bit slower (I expect) but I use other bikes for that.
Tambora series from polygon has a flip chips that actually changes bike geometry a bit making it better road or gravel bike. I actually don't mind adjusting it night before the ride while swapping my gravel and road wheelset. It makes difference so it's a perfect dual function bike for me.
Hi David, would you be kind enough to review the latest Trek checkpoint? I can’t see many videos on this bike and it looks to be a great gravel/bike packing bike
I have had two checkpoint sl bikes, the 2023 and 2024. I used them for both gravel/bikepacking and road with just one carbon wheels set and semi-slick tires and it has been one of my favourite bikes so far. It’s just super comfortable to ride, with the isospeed and bigger tires, and the versatility with all the mounting points is amazing!
I have the Giant Revolt Advanced. But yes switch better tires and wheels and I am very pleased with it. I use different tires every now and then (but then stick to it for months). Works fine for me on gravel and road. On many of my rides I do a bit of both
Let's get some more Jim the Bike Guy cameo appearances on your channel! It's a win/win because Jim rocks and you get the credit with views he attracts. Thanks!
The Salsa Warbird would compete well in arena and they’re on sale. Imo a gravel bike that’s going to do a lot of road work also would be better of with a 2x setup for sport and bike packing. Thanks for the video on this, David.
Yes, I have Shimano compact on my Trek Checkpoint and with road tires find no difference in avg speed over long endurance rides with my other bikes, racing might be a bit slower (I expect) but I use other bikes for that.
This is the exact decision I needed to make recently. It came down to a Specialized Roubaix vs a Giant Revolt. I went the Roubaix as I spend most time on the road but I keep thinking the Giant may have been better.
I use a Ribble CGR because it is designed just for this use case. I find as a gravel bike it is fast and as my winter road bike/backpacking bike it is excellent- not sure why more people don’t talk about it- the bike is a bit heavier than some of its comparisons but I find it is also less delicate - almost as strong as an xc mtb- perhaps it works be good to look as this?
Same! No-one mentions steel either. I have the 725 and it is absolutely perfect for horrible winter riding and it’s fabulous off road on 650Bs and 47mm tyres. I can be blasting around the forest at the weekend and then swap in 700c 38s and be commuting fast on the road on Monday. The ride on the ever more horrendous UK roads is so good I actually often prefer to ride it on the road to my fast race bike!
surely the Canyon is the Holy Grail?! Allied does look good, but it's pricey. I use geometrygeeks quite a bit too: definite recommend (although the specs can be out of date)
What a coincidence that this video came out just as I received my new Allied Echo. Just took it out for its first ride and initial impressions are extremely favorable. I'm not a pro bike tester and maybe some of it is just "brand new bike bias" but it felt leagues better than my old bikes. With the flip chips in road config it felt faster, more stable (but still quick handling), and much smoother riding than my old Wilier GTR SL that it's replacing. For reference my Echo has SRAM Force AXS, Zipp 303S wheels, and Black Inc carbon bars and post while my Wilier has 1st gen SRAM Red eTap HRD, Reynolds Assault carbon wheels, and Zipp carbon bars and seatpost. It actually felt smoother than my old 1st Gen Specialized Diverge despite having skinnier 30C tires versus the 35s on the Diverge. Despite being an allroad endurance bike the Echo just seemed to have this lively and light feeling like it's constantly seductively whispering "Let's go faster!". Even in a 16 knot headwind it felt far easier to maintain a decent speed than on my old bike. I really can't ask for more than a bike that's faster while being more comfortable :D What was supposed to be just a quick test ride turned into a fast 20+ miler as the bike just kept me feeling like I wanted to go on riding. The only other time I remember riding a bike that just seemed to urge me to go faster like this was when I had a rental S-Works Tarmac - not a bad bike to be compared to, I have to say. Oh, and the paint. OMG, the paint. The reviews always mention how Allied's paint looks amazing and I'm so glad I opted for their Harlequin Red to Blue - I kept glancing down during my ride to just look at the paint and that wondrous effect of having it be this lustrous blue on one part that morphs into this delicious red as the surface bends in another direction. Simply gorgeous. Already looking forward to my next spin on my Echo as well as taking it on its first century!
Just got my Echo this past week as well. Took it for an 85 mi. fast road ride on some pretty bad roads, and I agree with your description. It was responsive and playful and easy to hold 22+ mph. And with tubeless slicks and Prologo saddle, extremely comfortable. And the paint is stunning. Mine has the Harlequin color (which sounds like what you have also) and I’ve never seen anything like it. Absolute eye catcher.
@@tludwig400 Yeah, the Echo is awesome. Just wish it got more notice from the big bike review outlets but OTOH, it's like we're in our own little club who know about this gem :)
too late for me as I got a Giant Revolt last month for a bit of both. Roads in Southwest Scotland are often gravel besides the A roads anyway. haha. Happy with her, I'm not racing anyone.... besides my self off course. 😂😂
Ive got a 2x topstone with hunt wheels for the road and original wheels for gravel. It works really well, would love to upgrade to a Crux or similar and just run 2 sets of wheels. Would stick with 2x though due to road riding.
I almost purchased the Crux but got a better deal with the Echo! I always just put on Gravel mode geo and really can’t tell the difference. Fast enough for group rides (with the right tires), im currently uaing Strada Bianca 33 and will get proper gravel wheelset to swap around
I'm planning to use a gravel bike for commuting. The pop up bike paths are currently brutal and I have busted several spokes on my road bike over the last few months. I won't be changing the wheels.
I didn't even need to watch to know that a Canyon, Giant, and Specialized would be on the list. About as exciting as watching paint dry and not brands I'd ever consider buying. The Enve is more respectable but I'd probably take the Time ADHX over anything else if looking for the quiver killer.
Personally Davids theory works for me just fine i ride road and very light off road i.e bridle paths cycle lanes and firetracks with two sets of wheels, i do have a gravel bike with 650b chunky tyres for when i go off road adventuring or entering gravel events, but if rolling resistance and average speed is something your bothered about then maybe a road orientated bike with slim gravel tyres would be the ideal choice.
I want to get into road riding, but being an heavier guy, I'm leaning towards a gravel bike and setting it up purely for road riding (I already own a MTB) and the gravel bikes are probably better suited to taking a bit more weight/strain than a pure road bike.
I've been riding my carbon Topstone 105 as a 97% road bike the last few years and it keeps up on the B-group rides. Definitely "good" -- not sure if "great" or "best".
Hi David, you have mentioned taking the Enve Mog bike packing in several videos, but I've never been able to find the actual video in question, did you ever post it? Thanks in advance.
That's why I couldn't find the video🤣 Thank you for confirming, I appreciate it. How did you find the Enve Mog as a bike packing bike, how does the frame react when loaded? I have found some lightweight gravel bikes can be quite flexy when carrying a load.
@@joemckenna7680 I found it pretty solid with a few packs on - seat pack, handlebar bag and small frame pack. I travel pretty light and I'm light as well so definitely not pushing the bike to its limits, and didn't find it flexy at all. Really impressed with it actually, it's the ideal all-round gravel bike
That's good to know. Thank you for taking the time to respond. I have an Open Upper at the moment, I absolutely love the bike, but carrying a load bike packing........it's like riding on the back of a fish! To be fair, the Upper was never designed for bike packing......hence the reason I am interested in the MOG
I'm getting so confused on what bike to ride when....where to ride! I'm just going to just watch you riding bikes on TH-cam 😂 Jokes aside. Excellent channel really in depth reviews Dave. The new gravel bikes aren't cycle cross bikes or road bikes with fat tyres. If in doubt ride the Ridgeway on one of the above bikes and see how far you get!
I'm looking for a bike that can do actually serve 3 purposes 😅 or at least 2. I'm not an afficionado. I've almost always ridden cheap, old hand-me-down commute bikes. I'm considering spending a fair bit more on a decent bike this time around. But it's still mostly going to be a commuter with proper mudguards and a bagage rack to hang a bag on (and god forbid a chain guard.) I would however like it to be able to convert *relatively easily* to a road bike so I can occasionally join friends who do ride more regularly, without the bike being a slough still. I had been looking at gravel bikes because these can sometimes fit the necessary parts mentioned above that I would require of a commuter. I had stumbled on the Rondo Ruut, but videos and comment sections like these have my head spinning with makes and metrics that mean little to me. So yeah, I would really appreciate some advice on this 🙏
Seems like two camps: "Fast gravel" with more road bike-like geometry is gonna be better for both vs "Drop bar MTB" style which will be better as the gravel gets tougher but slow/unresponsive on the road. I thought one bike would work for both but to be honest riding on the road with a bike always dirty from the unpaved road rides pushed me back to having two bikes rather than just one. One stays dirty, the other clean. Vanity? Certainly!
I have a Specialized Diverge and have tried it using 28mm GP5000. It’s fine in terms of comfort etc, but the GRX-400 gearing is just not enough for the road. Just a light descent and you just run out of gears. I also find changing gears a lot more on flattish roads. Maybe with a 50/34 front it would be different but on a 46/30 its not great.
I've went down this route and got rid of all my road race bikes. I opted for the Cervelo Aspero 5 and 30c tires for road and 43c tires off-road. I like that the geometry is more aggressive than most gravel bikes but I also like that it feels closer to my road bike since I'm primarily using on the road. And the lime shimmer paint looks awesome. With this bike and two wheelsets, I've replaces three bikes and gained more room in the garage.
I would've mentioned the Cervelo Aspero, BMC Kaius, Factor Ostro, Ventum GS1, and Scott Addict. In my opinion, I think if you go down the gravel race bike route, you're bound to find a better road bike out of it as the geometry is closer.
which 3 bikes did you replace? I have been considering an Aspero to replace my Tarmac SL6
@@DesignandrewI had a Boltcutter High Country which was my dedicated gravel bike. Then I had a BMC Team Machine and an S-Works Tarmac SL7 as my road bikes. I first decided I didn't need the race bikes anymore. I didn't race anymore, I wasn't as fast as I used to be in my old age, and I had to get rid of that competitive side of cycling and that made it easier to transition to just having a do it all bike and not the N+1 philosophy. Now that's the Aspero for me, I like it on the road as long as I'm just riding for fun it does the trick and can go just as fast. It's just if you want a weight reduction and quick acceleration for the road you won't find it here. It's about 19 lbs. to lug around but it handles great. I still have an old Giant TCR with mechanical SRAM Red that is 14 pounds, that I use as a road bike should I want to get a little more serious about climbing and such, but mainly it sits on the trainer.
If a gravel bike could not double as a reasonable road bike, it's a MTB bike with drop bars and not a gravel bike.
When I first built my 3T Exploro in early 2018 I only had a set of 60mm deep road wheels with 25mm road tires. I had a wonderful summer riding that setup. Only toward the end of 2018 did I get a set of 650b wheels with gravel tires. In 2019 I rode all the way from Stockholm to Amsterdam on those road wheels and tires. I don't ride that combination anymore, but that's only because I got myself a Strada and put those wheels on that bike instead.
I ride only 1 bike. it's a 2019 Giant Advanced Revolt (1) - 1x drivetrain. I put on a 35mm Panaracer Gravel Slick and use it on the road and gravel. Not as fast as other bikes out there, but fine for my rec road rides, and slow intermediate gravel rides. I prefer riding gravel, but usually my rides from home are 30-40% pavement, and 60-70% gravel or rail trail. Last year was my 1st full season with it, and enjoyed it on both. I'm not the fittest rider, as my FTP is only 2.1W/kg on my initial zwift ramp test.
My gravel/road bike is a 2021 Kona Libre CR. OEM 650b x 47 WTB Venture tires. “Road” setup is DTSwiss CR1600 wheels with 700c x 38 Teravail Rampart Light & Supple. Tubeless for both. Works for me.
I don't agree with your Crux assessment, the Crux is PERFECT for road/gravel dual use. For example, you say that the Mog is "much more aggressive" that the Crux is "taller" etc. None of that is true. The Enve Mog has a higher stack than the Crux, slacker angles than the Crux and a longer wheelbase than the Crux. The BB height and drop are basically the same between these bikes. The Crux is significantly lighter and not festooned with mounts like the Mog. The Revolt, Grail, Mog etc are all more "true" gravel bikes while the Crux is essentially an Aethos road bike with more tire clearance.
My Crux is an Aethos on steroids :-)
I thought that assessment was strange too. The stacks are the exact same. The Crux is a little longer, etc.
The Crux feeling more “on top” is its cross roots… and not a bad thing for the road.
Seems like a way better road option than a MOG which doesn’t seem like a road bike in any way at all.
I like your assessment here. I am thinking of a Crux but I'm worried it would be exhausting on washboard type gravel. I'm currently on an all steel Surly Straggler and I love the ride, stiffness, versatility and durability but it is about 7.3 lbs for the frame and fork.
You are exactly right. David really messed up his assessment here and literally contradicted himself between the Crux and the MOG. The MOG is a beautiful machine no doubt, but for the topic of this video the Crux is the top bike. It literally does it all and that's what his video was about.
I’m confused, I thought the Mog and Cruz would both be considered gravel ‘race’ bikes based on their stack/reach geo. The Mog is more versatile for bike packing, etc, while the Crux is much more minimalist and light weight.
I have just built up a Revolt frame as a road bike. SRAM Axs 2x12 with 48/35, 32 mm tyres on reserve Road wheels. Makes a perfect road bike. Just put in my gravel wheels if I want. In fact I intend riding it the Gravel Worlds in Belgium later this year. The other great thing about the Revolt is that it takes proper full mudguards. So a winner bike as well.
Cervelo Aspero with 2 sets of wheels is my current 2in1 option. 650b wheels with wide gravel tyres (most gravel I have near me is really light mountain biking) and a set of 700c wheels with road tyres.
Same!
Ritchey Swiss Cross is my go to bike, 700x38c tires and I ride almost everywhere with it. It's the bike I take with me when I go away for a weekend or a week and it soaks up the rough back roads and trails and let's me explore.
No mention of the Cervelo Aspero5? Mine is very capable for group rides on the road and having fun on gravel and even single track.
Currently building up a purple sunset Aspero5 with Ultegra Di2 and 40mm gravel tires. I'm also getting a second set of wheels for 35mm semi-slicks for road days!
I love my Aspero 5 and it has become THE bike for all my uses. I run 30c for road 43c for gravel.
@@nerigarcia7116 Any clearance issues in the rear with 43c?
How does an aspero compare geo wise to a Tarmac SL6? I love how my SL6 turns, but I would love an Aspero but it would mainly be on road
@@glassacrePlenty of clearance. I may got 45 once I go through those tires.
That Allied Echo bike is the real deal as a geometry changer from road too gravel set up with those geometry chip spacers front & rear axle. The reason I say real deal geometry changer for the Allied Echo is my racing experience with my Puegeot Pro team racing bike I had while racing in the late 90's, it had variable geometry built into the rear axle line ,a very handy when you wanted to go from rough stuff to super smooth criterium fast handling. There was limitions due to the tyre sizes you could put on such a bike ( it was a 80's & 90's era racing bike after all) but that was a very smooth bike to ride either on the rough stuff or smooth.
Bikes these days with carbon fibre construction/aluminum have gone to far in the specialist purpose zone of use compared to bikes built out of good steel frames like Renyolds531 tubing & so forth, the ride comfort feel with good steel frames is something you just can't get without spending your hard earnt income at a stagering level these days with carbon fibre/aluminum bikes.
Love my cervélo áspero!
My gravel bike IS my road bike ( form when rides are mostly endurance road) - a 2018 Why R+ Titanium (its what they called an All road bike back then, before the term "gravel" became a cath all term). My R+ takes up to 700 x 47mm tires, and I got two wheelsets:
one for road with 45mm deep - 32mm panaracer tires and for gravel 38mm deep x 40 mm nobbies for gravel. Both set up tubeless for lower pressures and self sealing on punctures. Its been perfect for me !
I love my OPEN U.P. with 40mm gravel tires as well as 30mm road slicks on 50mm deep Hunt carbon wheels.
I went for a Kanzo Fast and i think its an amazing bike
Thanks for the video, great content as always. I did just get a Canyon Grail 2 and looked at other bike manufacturers. Since Canyon has such good pricing, I was able to buy a Hunt road wheelset and still spend less.
Rondo from Poland also offer gravel bikes with all sorts of frame materials (steel, aluminium, titanium, carbon), drivetrain layouts (1x or 2x) and variable geometry using a fork insert for the through-axle, and I'm thinking if you picked the one you liked and you set it up with a 27.5 inch gravel wheelset for the slack position (maybe with a bigger front tire to make it even slacker) and a 28 inch road wheelset for the sporty position you could also very much get two completely different bikes out of it.
I like having two different bikes. One for Gravel (Grizl) one for the road (Supersix).
I was doing this a few years back on a Grail AL 7. I put a set of Hunt All Road Wheels with Panaracer Gravel king slicks and didn't feel the need to change wheels. Just changed the tire pressure if I was on a strictly road ride. Then I picked up a carbon frame Endurance thinking I was going to feel a big difference... I did not. Grail is still number 1 in my book!
I’ve got a 1st gen Grail SLX and love it but find my self attracted to the Lauf Seigler with the new Eagle gearing an ideal mount for me in this part of Australia
I have a Giant Revolt Advanced 0 and I ride it on the road with Ffwd Ryot 33 with tubeless 28mm Conti tyres. It's at least as fast as my 2014 Canyon Endurace CF9 and much more comfortable. It's a terrific dual purpose machine and swapping out the wheelsets is easy once you set up the discs with some shims. Not rub. No adjustments
I think you missed the Scott addict gravel
I’m running a 2019 carbon Diverge as my winter road bike. The 2019 model is before the current one went slacker. 72.5deg head angle is only half a degree off a Tarmac SL5, but with a 33mm longer wheelbase. Although the latest Roubaix in the same 56cm is 1mm longer! With 32c 4Seasons tyres and 105 Di2, it’s been great throughout winter. Maybe it’s just my local area, but I’m not sure where everyone is finding these gravel roads, as there are none near me in Bedfordshire.
I also use a 2019 diverge. I have two sets of wheels, One with 35 slicks for the winter. The other has 40 mm gravel tires on it for the gravel. you are spot on with the geometry. It really has road geometry. Specialized went with the trend for longer lower and slacker after this model. It’s really my favorite bike
I'm gonna join in the "Why my bike is not there" whining club too! :D Rose Backroad that has a bit shorter rear fork then usually on gravel bikes. Also shorter top tube and lower stem than Grizl for example. Very stable on trails, like a train while full loaded on bike packing tours. Then last autumn I bought a 45mm carbon wheels with 32mm rougher road tyres and damn that vehicle got a second personality :D
I've been doing this for a couple years now with a proper gravel bike (titanium Lynskey GR300) and multiple wheelsets. For me, one of the important aspects is having gravel gearing , in this case Shimano GRX 2x 600. Also, a set of 650b x 47 knobby tires really works well on chunky as well as sandy patches. As much as I love road riding, I much prefer the versatility of the gravel setup and I always appreciate the lower gears when climbing. Cheers!
I bought a Giant Contend AR for my road bike. Its more road like than the revolt but can also be a gravel bike with clearance up to 40 mm. I think its perfect. I really cant buy a traditional road bike because i am six foot 3 and 295 pounds. Most road bikes dont support someone much size. The giant does very well.
I fell into this 'one bike to do it all' trap about 20 years ago with a cyclocross bike. It was slow on the road and limited in the offroad terrain it could handle.
A hardtail mountain bike is great on gravel roads to single track. A road bike is faster and more efficient for group rides or centuries.
I have been down the Google rabbit hole for 4 days, trying to figure out what is the best bike for me….this video just made this choice so much easier. Thank you
Glad I could help!
I really like my Giant Revolt Advanced 2. I run Token Konax Pro wheels with Continental 5,000 TR tires. It's quick stable and comfortable.
I am going for the Secan - It’s the only company providing sizes for riders with long and short legs! And that for less money than envee, specialized or whatever!
The Crux is the best for CX / Gravel / Road duties. No other bike does it all while also being the lightest frame in the world.
kind of a small chainring up front for road, and i would prefer a road bike being 2by
Love my Trek Checkpoint SL that I use as gravel and road bike swapping wheelsets for each use. Still fast enough (for me) as a roadbike but great as a gravel bike too. Meanwhile, my older Specialized Diverge from 2019 has been converted to my commuter with mudguards and a tailfin rack so its definitely now a road bike too...
Thx! I think you forgot to mention the Canyon Grizl to do both jobs very well. Actually I am between the Crux - which I prefer over the Enve from geometry - and the Grizl. From the price point everything speaks for the Grizl XPLR for actually unbelievable 2500€ which should also be considered. Cheers from NorthGermany
David, Blackheart allroad fits too. Now they’ve realised an AL with the same geo as their Ti could be a good opportunity to compare and ride both in equal specs, no better way to judge differences in frame materials on quality of ride.
@@3TZZZ I don't own one but I'm in the market for an all road. Checking out Curve now, thanks!
Hi David, I have two suggestions both of which I own. First my Genesis CdF Ti, which was probably one of the first gravel do it all all bike on the market. I originally bought mine to use as a winter bike. Mounts for proper mudguards. Currently run 32mm tyres on the road as my winter bike but plenty of room to run larger tyres and mudguards. Take off the mud guards and switch to gravel wheels with gravel tyres. I typically ride 7,000 to 8,000 on the road in winter every year. As a gravel bike in the summer. My other suggestion from a bike I own. Is my Basso Palta 2. A super quick and light gravel race bike. Switch to a set of road wheels and it is a great road bike. I also often do 100 miles rides which are a slit between other road sections linked up by road sections. I find just not much slower than my road bike considering I use 40 mm gravel race tyres for such ride. I also have a Giant Revolt which I use as my winter mud gravel bike . From my experience I not convinced it works as a road bike as well as I thought it would.
It's been two months with my CdF, so happy with it.
Kind of surprised not to see some of the ‘racier’ gravel bikes like a 3T RaceMax or an Aspero, and I share being puzzled over the characterization of the Crux. To my mind that’s the bike that’s closest to pure road in this lot.
As someone said in the comments, people sleeps on the TCX, and i guess it's because it's a ... CX bike and doesn't fit on the labels?The Allied Echo has a pretty agressive geometry (on picture). I don't want to say it's similar to the TCX because people will call the error with the geometry details, but it's a bike that it's passed a lot. After a couple of years, i just sold my road and mtb to just keep a TCX as my all-around.
My Trek Checkpoint with road tires has no loss in avg speed over long endurance rides with my other bikes, racing might be a bit slower (I expect) but I use other bikes for that.
Tambora series from polygon has a flip chips that actually changes bike geometry a bit making it better road or gravel bike. I actually don't mind adjusting it night before the ride while swapping my gravel and road wheelset. It makes difference so it's a perfect dual function bike for me.
Hi David, would you be kind enough to review the latest Trek checkpoint?
I can’t see many videos on this bike and it looks to be a great gravel/bike packing bike
He won't, I'm not sure what Davids issue is with Trek but don't expect to see a favorable review if any on the Checkpoint.
I have had two checkpoint sl bikes, the 2023 and 2024. I used them for both gravel/bikepacking and road with just one carbon wheels set and semi-slick tires and it has been one of my favourite bikes so far.
It’s just super comfortable to ride, with the isospeed and bigger tires, and the versatility with all the mounting points is amazing!
I have the Giant Revolt Advanced. But yes switch better tires and wheels and I am very pleased with it. I use different tires every now and then (but then stick to it for months). Works fine for me on gravel and road. On many of my rides I do a bit of both
I feel that the Canyon is probably the best "high-tier" purchase. It's expensive, but considering the parts, it's very competitive.
Great video lots of good info. Would love someone to compare the MOG to the newer Santa Cruz Stigmata. They seem to be similar
Let's get some more Jim the Bike Guy cameo appearances on your channel! It's a win/win because Jim rocks and you get the credit with views he attracts. Thanks!
The Salsa Warbird would compete well in arena and they’re on sale. Imo a gravel bike that’s going to do a lot of road work also would be better of with a 2x setup for sport and bike packing.
Thanks for the video on this, David.
Cervelo Aspero...end of discussion! :)
What's the weight on the CA?
Most gravel bikes are ridden on the road as an all rounder. Perfectly fine. I rode mine the length of Portugal on road with 28mm road tyres.
Ritchey Outback for me thanks. External routing, threaded bottom bracket. Stable but fun geometry and…….made of steel. Plus it’s a Ritchey. Nuff said
Really informative! Thanks again for all your thoughtful videos. Happy Leap Year Day 2024 :)
i think the group set plays a role as well
Yes, I have Shimano compact on my Trek Checkpoint and with road tires find no difference in avg speed over long endurance rides with my other bikes, racing might be a bit slower (I expect) but I use other bikes for that.
This is the exact decision I needed to make recently. It came down to a Specialized Roubaix vs a Giant Revolt. I went the Roubaix as I spend most time on the road but I keep thinking the Giant may have been better.
I use a Ribble CGR because it is designed just for this use case. I find as a gravel bike it is fast and as my winter road bike/backpacking bike it is excellent- not sure why more people don’t talk about it- the bike is a bit heavier than some of its comparisons but I find it is also less delicate - almost as strong as an xc mtb- perhaps it works be good to look as this?
Same! No-one mentions steel either. I have the 725 and it is absolutely perfect for horrible winter riding and it’s fabulous off road on 650Bs and 47mm tyres. I can be blasting around the forest at the weekend and then swap in 700c 38s and be commuting fast on the road on Monday. The ride on the ever more horrendous UK roads is so good I actually often prefer to ride it on the road to my fast race bike!
I went with the Cannondale Topstone Carbon, I think it will work great for a double duty bike.
surely the Canyon is the Holy Grail?! Allied does look good, but it's pricey. I use geometrygeeks quite a bit too: definite recommend (although the specs can be out of date)
What a coincidence that this video came out just as I received my new Allied Echo. Just took it out for its first ride and initial impressions are extremely favorable. I'm not a pro bike tester and maybe some of it is just "brand new bike bias" but it felt leagues better than my old bikes. With the flip chips in road config it felt faster, more stable (but still quick handling), and much smoother riding than my old Wilier GTR SL that it's replacing. For reference my Echo has SRAM Force AXS, Zipp 303S wheels, and Black Inc carbon bars and post while my Wilier has 1st gen SRAM Red eTap HRD, Reynolds Assault carbon wheels, and Zipp carbon bars and seatpost. It actually felt smoother than my old 1st Gen Specialized Diverge despite having skinnier 30C tires versus the 35s on the Diverge.
Despite being an allroad endurance bike the Echo just seemed to have this lively and light feeling like it's constantly seductively whispering "Let's go faster!". Even in a 16 knot headwind it felt far easier to maintain a decent speed than on my old bike. I really can't ask for more than a bike that's faster while being more comfortable :D
What was supposed to be just a quick test ride turned into a fast 20+ miler as the bike just kept me feeling like I wanted to go on riding. The only other time I remember riding a bike that just seemed to urge me to go faster like this was when I had a rental S-Works Tarmac - not a bad bike to be compared to, I have to say.
Oh, and the paint. OMG, the paint. The reviews always mention how Allied's paint looks amazing and I'm so glad I opted for their Harlequin Red to Blue - I kept glancing down during my ride to just look at the paint and that wondrous effect of having it be this lustrous blue on one part that morphs into this delicious red as the surface bends in another direction. Simply gorgeous.
Already looking forward to my next spin on my Echo as well as taking it on its first century!
Just got my Echo this past week as well. Took it for an 85 mi. fast road ride on some pretty bad roads, and I agree with your description. It was responsive and playful and easy to hold 22+ mph. And with tubeless slicks and Prologo saddle, extremely comfortable. And the paint is stunning. Mine has the Harlequin color (which sounds like what you have also) and I’ve never seen anything like it. Absolute eye catcher.
@@tludwig400 Yeah, the Echo is awesome. Just wish it got more notice from the big bike review outlets but OTOH, it's like we're in our own little club who know about this gem :)
too late for me as I got a Giant Revolt last month for a bit of both. Roads in Southwest Scotland are often gravel besides the A roads anyway. haha.
Happy with her, I'm not racing anyone.... besides my self off course. 😂😂
Ive got a 2x topstone with hunt wheels for the road and original wheels for gravel. It works really well, would love to upgrade to a Crux or similar and just run 2 sets of wheels. Would stick with 2x though due to road riding.
Cervelo Aspero with a mullet build is the one race bike to rule them all
I almost purchased the Crux but got a better deal with the Echo! I always just put on Gravel mode geo and really can’t tell the difference. Fast enough for group rides (with the right tires), im currently uaing Strada Bianca 33 and will get proper gravel wheelset to swap around
I'm planning to use a gravel bike for commuting. The pop up bike paths are currently brutal and I have busted several spokes on my road bike over the last few months. I won't be changing the wheels.
The Trek Checkpoint ALR5 is a great option as well.
Scott Addict Gravel ? I just ordered one with dual purpose vibe in mind 🤞
I didn't even need to watch to know that a Canyon, Giant, and Specialized would be on the list. About as exciting as watching paint dry and not brands I'd ever consider buying. The Enve is more respectable but I'd probably take the Time ADHX over anything else if looking for the quiver killer.
Personally Davids theory works for me just fine i ride road and very light off road i.e bridle paths cycle lanes and firetracks with two sets of wheels, i do have a gravel bike with 650b chunky tyres for when i go off road adventuring or entering gravel events, but if rolling resistance and average speed is something your bothered about then maybe a road orientated bike with slim gravel tyres would be the ideal choice.
I want to get into road riding, but being an heavier guy, I'm leaning towards a gravel bike and setting it up purely for road riding (I already own a MTB) and the gravel bikes are probably better suited to taking a bit more weight/strain than a pure road bike.
Do you think a topstone carbon 5 can be good as a gravel road bike ? Great video
I've been riding my carbon Topstone 105 as a 97% road bike the last few years and it keeps up on the B-group rides. Definitely "good" -- not sure if "great" or "best".
@@OskarAustegard thanks for the info which topstone number do you ride ?
Hi David, you have mentioned taking the Enve Mog bike packing in several videos, but I've never been able to find the actual video in question, did you ever post it? Thanks in advance.
I never did a dedicated video on bikepacking with the MOG, but did a three day bikepacking trip as part of my review process
That's why I couldn't find the video🤣
Thank you for confirming, I appreciate it. How did you find the Enve Mog as a bike packing bike, how does the frame react when loaded? I have found some lightweight gravel bikes can be quite flexy when carrying a load.
@@joemckenna7680 I found it pretty solid with a few packs on - seat pack, handlebar bag and small frame pack. I travel pretty light and I'm light as well so definitely not pushing the bike to its limits, and didn't find it flexy at all. Really impressed with it actually, it's the ideal all-round gravel bike
That's good to know. Thank you for taking the time to respond. I have an Open Upper at the moment, I absolutely love the bike, but carrying a load bike packing........it's like riding on the back of a fish! To be fair, the Upper was never designed for bike packing......hence the reason I am interested in the MOG
The speedmax by 3t is a good one too
@davidarthur Thanks for the video. You think make a video on the best bikepacking gravel bike ?
I'm surprised the vitus venon never came up they're like aero road bikes with gravel clearances
I believe the parent company for Vitus went bankrupt and the Vitus bikes are difficult to get (at least in the US)
@@bobsinca oh damn that's a real shame
I'm getting so confused on what bike to ride when....where to ride!
I'm just going to just watch you riding bikes on TH-cam 😂
Jokes aside.
Excellent channel really in depth reviews Dave.
The new gravel bikes aren't cycle cross bikes or road bikes with fat tyres.
If in doubt ride the Ridgeway on one of the above bikes and see how far you get!
Cannondale slate with the lefty oliver and schwalbe g one tyres... flies
I'm looking for a bike that can do actually serve 3 purposes 😅 or at least 2. I'm not an afficionado. I've almost always ridden cheap, old hand-me-down commute bikes. I'm considering spending a fair bit more on a decent bike this time around. But it's still mostly going to be a commuter with proper mudguards and a bagage rack to hang a bag on (and god forbid a chain guard.) I would however like it to be able to convert *relatively easily* to a road bike so I can occasionally join friends who do ride more regularly, without the bike being a slough still. I had been looking at gravel bikes because these can sometimes fit the necessary parts mentioned above that I would require of a commuter. I had stumbled on the Rondo Ruut, but videos and comment sections like these have my head spinning with makes and metrics that mean little to me. So yeah, I would really appreciate some advice on this 🙏
hhm you didn't mention the scott addict... that should tick most boxes for gravel and road... 🤔
Looking at switching from a TCR Adv SL Rim brake to a Grail CF SLX or Crux Expert. 2 Sets of wheels, one running 28mms for road
Seems like two camps: "Fast gravel" with more road bike-like geometry is gonna be better for both vs "Drop bar MTB" style which will be better as the gravel gets tougher but slow/unresponsive on the road.
I thought one bike would work for both but to be honest riding on the road with a bike always dirty from the unpaved road rides pushed me back to having two bikes rather than just one. One stays dirty, the other clean. Vanity? Certainly!
Do you find the grail too aggressive compared to the endurace or is it still comfortable for long rides? Just don’t want something too aero.
I have a Specialized Diverge and have tried it using 28mm GP5000. It’s fine in terms of comfort etc, but the GRX-400 gearing is just not enough for the road. Just a light descent and you just run out of gears. I also find changing gears a lot more on flattish roads. Maybe with a 50/34 front it would be different but on a 46/30 its not great.
Whats your opinion David on a Nukeproof digger comp 1x on GP5000 for a sportive bike weighs 8.5kg great content as usual.
Would the Litespeed Toscano be a candidate
Have you review the Look Gravel 765 RS? Or what is your thoughts please?
Some great options! 😮
Basso Palta is excellent both as gravel and road bike
I use my cube nuroad c62 pro for all my riding, can't complain
Would you also change cassette?
I have a Ribble GCR AL e it does everything I need
Loving the studio set up - great colour choice. I just knew the Secan would feature in this lineup.
Glad you like it!
Thoughts on the Litespeed offerings, Toscano and Ultimate G2? Thanks
The new colnago gravel bike looks like it would be great on the roads
Maybe so, but way overpriced
Yea the price is high but the bikes built in Italy not China , you got to pay a bit more if you don’t want China to dominate the world 🤷
Factor Ostro Gravel
Ridley Kanzo Fast
..
I see quite some perfect dual purpose bikes missing 😊
I use Geometry geeks too great tool and showed me the difference between my bikes as well
Good review. Some bikes I am not aware of
An open up/per and trek checkpoint should have been included too
I ride a Pronghorn cx. With 2 different wheelsets its perfect! Dont need two bikes.
I was exactly in this category looking for an N+1 killer. I ended up with the more botique CHAPTER2 KAHA Gravel Race bike 👌🏼
How about the Wilier Rave?
Some hard tails convert better for great price depending on terrain 😊
A 3T racemax Italia would be a good choice. 3T basically invented the aero gravel segment.
I’ve been pretty impressed with my Felt Broam 30
How about the gt grade and giant defy?
Thoughts on triban Rc520?