I am riding an e-mtb, a gravel bike and a hardtail, did some >100km rides with each. Btw I had my gravel bike adjusted so I actually can climb on gravel. In real life, there is no terrain where one of these makes most sense/ would be "best" or fastest. Especially on longer rides there is mixed terrain to deal with. Even on a given gravel road the surface changes over time, can be fast one day with a gravel bike and just horrid some weeks later. I actually enjoy riding totally different bikes, makes the same ride more interesting
Gravel bikes are just a bunch of marketing nonsense, and bikes capable of the same things have existed for many decades now. Touring/trekking/randoneurring/hybrid and cyclocross bikes were all capable of those tasks long before somebody "invented" the gravel bike and pushed it as the new hot thing. As for gravel specific components, it's just an excuse to sell you poorly-performing mountain bike parts, pretending to look like road bike components. With the likes of Niner and their full suspension gravel bike, I"m officially done on the subject. We've been riding bikes on gravel since before somebody figured out what asphalt was, and they weren't gravel-specific bikes, we just called them "bicycles". At the end of the day though, It's such a boring and horrible surface to ride on that I don't understand why people would go out of their way and spend such big money to ride on it.
I recently ordered a gravel bike only to cancel and switch to an EMTB. Just got it today. Can still do gravel but now I can commute to work by bike without feeling shattered and no longer taking my car. Win for my health, fitness and the environment.
Exactly: Seconds: 11+40+4+46+30+30 = 161 => 2 min 41 sec; then add the minutes: 12+4+18+9+11+9 = 63 => 1h 3mins. So in total: 1h 5m 41 seconds. You should email this to EMBN and GCN ;) (or I will ;) It was a great effort and it definitely deserves the win.
"Wrong end results," that's your complaint? How about... not racing the same route? Forgetting the ridiculous 15mph speed limit, with downhill momentum able to propel the gravel bike to 70kmh, how fast do you think the Emtb will fly down the same fire road it was designed to easily handle, even with the system off/unpowered, 50-55kmh with great control isn't a stretch and with the extra weight providing rolling momentum downhill, perhaps faster? The point is there would be perhaps a 30 second victory at 70kmh on the gravel bike, meaning in the final tabulation the margin would so heavily favour the Emtb that it wouldn't even be close enough to warrant close inspection. Perhaps that's why this was allowed, the "secret" was a "cheat" that was allowed to stand so we sadly never saw a full direct race. A small other point is this, when comparing machines against each other, do that! Compare the machines with equal (external) rider input, so if one rider can put out 1600w for sprint bursts, don't match him with a rider capable of max 400w input, it's highly disingenuous to do so and then expect the results not to be skewed.
Great video, very entertaining. But stage 5 was a little bit of a cop-out. Would love to see an e-road bike vs e-mtn bike over same track. SAME TRACK please!
Easy...mtb wins by a bigger margin as he wouldnt be able to do 70kph. Also if the gravel wasnt piloted by a pro sprinter then the margin gets even bigger. Just depends on the experience you prefer but emtb will be faster.
Just a laugh, both bikes are fun , just no speed limiter and instantly solved. Why is it ok to do 70 on a gravel bike but not a shocking 32 on an emtb, oh dear europe.
But you'll never get a truly equivalent track. Make it more technical and the bike with suspension and big tires wins by a mile. Less technical and it's swapped. They're different bikes for different purposes where one cannot beat the other in their respective elements
@@austinshoupe1506 the battery and the motor and the frame , i have mtb ebike for few days and i find the only advantage is less burned knees especially uphill , i pass sport cyclists uphill easy
Exactly. This was fucking stupid. Of course an *electric* mtb will be faster on rough terrain than an analog gravel bike. Why didn't they use an electric gravel bike as well?
@@alankoslowski9473 it have no sense. Main advantage of gravel and road bikes is weight. Battery + motor it near ~10 kilo overweight. In this case gravel e-bike will be the same as mtb ebike, but because gravel using lightweight materials it can just broke the frame with additional unbalanced weight on it.
Love your video, beautiful countryside... nice commentary. Really shows that an E-Bike is a lot more fun than a gravel bike, less bouncing around, less stress and more relaxed ride. For me, I believe that riding a bike is to have fun, not an ordeal. Wonderful video... well done.
So an overweight old guy (no disrespect Steve, I’m the same) on a 25kph ebike can beat a very fit, great rider on a gravel bike. I don’t get the complaining in the comments about the 25kph assist limit, get fitter or ride a moto... or just enjoy the unrestricted trail access on the 25kph ebike. Entertaining video, great job guys!
Great vid guys. Very interesting to see how completely different bikes perform on various terrains and looks like you had massive fun doing it too. Keep em coming :)
Oppie got some acceleration in those legs! Surprised how little time he lost on some of those descents on those skinny tyres. Obviously he got some off-road skills.
I am a MTB born cyclist now a days a more gravel grinder/roadie but as my years keep adding up am sure I will put an EMTB on my stable and ride it a lot, because looks tons of fun... great work and kudos to the GCN work horse mr Opie.
Another great video boys. The ones with presenters from the other "channels" seem to work really well I reckon. I will say this though: 70K, daaaaam that's fast!
Fun vid to watch! I was riding cross bikes before gravel bikes became a thing. Two cross bikes and two gravel with a few really old mountain bikes. One a downhill race bike.
Done that loop many times in both directions. The ride from Pen y Gadair Fawr down Crug Mawr must be one of the longest downhills in Wales. Great video guys but the gravel bike going via the Grwyne Fawr forest road really ruined the comparison but made the more entertaining video. Good work chaps.
Fun video. It shows that a group of people with different fitness levels can bike together and have a great day out. Emtb stimulates physical social networks, get togethers and physical activity. Something greatly needed in our screen oriented society! Kudo’s for the demo.
Kinda funny, I had zero interests in watching this video! So glad I did, I thoroughly enjoyed it. I wouldn't even dream of attempting to take a gravel bike on this ride. Great work, keep the amazing vids coming, Cheers.
Have both and would not like to pick between them. They are both brilliant at what they are made for. Must admit I think the ebike has more smiles per mile ! Chris Opie going downhill on the gravel bike was pure mad.
i recreated this last wednesday in the new forest. my mate had his la pierrre full sus emtb and I was on gravel bike. the main thing that slowed me down was the mega vibes on the rough terrain with no suspension on the downhills. bone shaking, then the climbs he tore me a new one. Still great fun. we had an emtb, gravel and normal full susser mtb. would like to try it with the future shock maybe like the new diverge. or a salsa with 100mm travel fork? top vid though fellas. keep the content coming.
Thank you so much, I’ve oredered an Orbea h30 but I started to think I made the wrong decision until I saw this video and now it’s starting to make sense, only thing is I don’t have any ebike friends yet......
Superbly shot and entertaining as usual but the overwhelming fact here was a very fit cyclist against....... well, a Steve Jones!! Okay, the video proved that emtb is a great leveller but if it was similar riders then the margin would have been massive in favour of the ebike. Having said that, if I could afford a gravel bike like that it would get used as much as my ebike 😎
Would love to see this with an electric gravelbike like the Orbea Gain D31 or the Boardman ADV 8.9. They are. Bit heavier (13 kg), but benefit from the assist like the E-MTB.
I've seen a few riders on gravel bikes up on the hills lately and they all have the "I bought the wrong bike" look of regret on their faces as they crawl up and down the hills.
Had my first e bike (me ), versus gravel bike (my mate) ride tonite....he could eat me on the downhill and some of the undulating terrain but on the uphill i could pully away easily...overall the ride was a little too quick for me but damn good fun still.
My mate bought his wife a Ribble eGravel bike and she joined us on a gravel trail along the Isar river with a 2 year old on the back and she kept up with us for 40km..... It was brilliant!
im fortunate to hav a 29er Scot FS Xcross bike, a 3T enduro gravel bike that i love, and a Ebike levo 2017 thats amazing. If I could only keep one???? the Gravel bike...... only based on where i live......... reality, have all three!!!
That s works is very impressive in terms of weight considering the suspension and size of the battery onboard. Mind boggling Most electric city bikes with 20 inch tyres without suspension are around that weight with half the battery capacity
Have you ridden a gravel bike? What did you think?
I am riding an e-mtb, a gravel bike and a hardtail, did some >100km rides with each. Btw I had my gravel bike adjusted so I actually can climb on gravel.
In real life, there is no terrain where one of these makes most sense/ would be "best" or fastest.
Especially on longer rides there is mixed terrain to deal with. Even on a given gravel road the surface changes over time, can be fast one day with a gravel bike and just horrid some weeks later.
I actually enjoy riding totally different bikes, makes the same ride more interesting
Mountain bike>cx/gravel bike. Pure science and logic.
I love my Diverge, it just comes alive in the loose stuff. It now wears road slicks as my 2nd bike, with my Levo for forest fun :)
Gravel bikes are just a bunch of marketing nonsense, and bikes capable of the same things have existed for many decades now. Touring/trekking/randoneurring/hybrid and cyclocross bikes were all capable of those tasks long before somebody "invented" the gravel bike and pushed it as the new hot thing. As for gravel specific components, it's just an excuse to sell you poorly-performing mountain bike parts, pretending to look like road bike components. With the likes of Niner and their full suspension gravel bike, I"m officially done on the subject. We've been riding bikes on gravel since before somebody figured out what asphalt was, and they weren't gravel-specific bikes, we just called them "bicycles". At the end of the day though, It's such a boring and horrible surface to ride on that I don't understand why people would go out of their way and spend such big money to ride on it.
No but now I really want to, man does that gravel bike ever look good.
More like e-mtb vs Chris Opie's legs and descending madness on a gravel bike. LOL! Fun video, great banter!
yeap, the riders were far from being a match to each other.
That's the point, you can be fat and middle aged and still beat Chris opie on an emtb!
70k an hour on gravel is insane. Respect
I recently ordered a gravel bike only to cancel and switch to an EMTB. Just got it today. Can still do gravel but now I can commute to work by bike without feeling shattered and no longer taking my car. Win for my health, fitness and the environment.
@5:04 1600W was too many Watts for Chris' shorts!
Seriously though, great video. Wales looks spectacular, even in the rain!
nobody noticed, that the result table shows wrong end results?
if you calculate the times, the gravel bike wins with 1:05:41 to 1:06:28!
Exactly: Seconds: 11+40+4+46+30+30 = 161 => 2 min 41 sec; then add the minutes: 12+4+18+9+11+9 = 63 => 1h 3mins. So in total: 1h 5m 41 seconds. You should email this to EMBN and GCN ;) (or I will ;) It was a great effort and it definitely deserves the win.
@@lukasz.m Do it:)
"Wrong end results," that's your complaint? How about... not racing the same route? Forgetting the ridiculous 15mph speed limit, with downhill momentum able to propel the gravel bike to 70kmh, how fast do you think the Emtb will fly down the same fire road it was designed to easily handle, even with the system off/unpowered, 50-55kmh with great control isn't a stretch and with the extra weight providing rolling momentum downhill, perhaps faster? The point is there would be perhaps a 30 second victory at 70kmh on the gravel bike, meaning in the final tabulation the margin would so heavily favour the Emtb that it wouldn't even be close enough to warrant close inspection. Perhaps that's why this was allowed, the "secret" was a "cheat" that was allowed to stand so we sadly never saw a full direct race. A small other point is this, when comparing machines against each other, do that! Compare the machines with equal (external) rider input, so if one rider can put out 1600w for sprint bursts, don't match him with a rider capable of max 400w input, it's highly disingenuous to do so and then expect the results not to be skewed.
@@ABritInNYdumb reply
@@ABritInNY You're both missing the point. It's entertainment > accuracy and they do a great job of it.
Great video, very entertaining. But stage 5 was a little bit of a cop-out. Would love to see an e-road bike vs e-mtn bike over same track. SAME TRACK please!
Easy...mtb wins by a bigger margin as he wouldnt be able to do 70kph. Also if the gravel wasnt piloted by a pro sprinter then the margin gets even bigger. Just depends on the experience you prefer but emtb will be faster.
Just a laugh, both bikes are fun , just no speed limiter and instantly solved. Why is it ok to do 70 on a gravel bike but not a shocking 32 on an emtb, oh dear europe.
Wayne Carkeek On that gravel road you would have done 70 kph on an emtb aswell.
Stage 5 more showed what each was best at.
But you'll never get a truly equivalent track. Make it more technical and the bike with suspension and big tires wins by a mile. Less technical and it's swapped. They're different bikes for different purposes where one cannot beat the other in their respective elements
I was hoping Chris's secret weapon was a E-powered gravel bike. To see what a pro rider could do with an ebike would be awesome.
Agree !
I would assume the motor would just get in the way by adding extra weight.
@@austinshoupe1506 the battery and the motor and the frame , i have mtb ebike for few days and i find the only advantage is less burned knees especially uphill , i pass sport cyclists uphill easy
Exactly. This was fucking stupid. Of course an *electric* mtb will be faster on rough terrain than an analog gravel bike. Why didn't they use an electric gravel bike as well?
@@alankoslowski9473 it have no sense. Main advantage of gravel and road bikes is weight. Battery + motor it near ~10 kilo overweight. In this case gravel e-bike will be the same as mtb ebike, but because gravel using lightweight materials it can just broke the frame with additional unbalanced weight on it.
the title should be more like: legs vs. no legs + motor
And old vs Young
And light vs heavy
And dope vs invalid
And ...
Fantastic video. Chris' riding skills are truly insane.
THAT is what made the gravel bike go, not the bike. A gravel bike is a tarted up roadbike with fatter tires.
The rider makes it work on rough ground.
Great work lads. The dynamic between you two was great, top banter 😁
Great videos guys. Really entertaining and two super sympathetic riders. Please more of that crossover style.
Now swap bikes and do it again 😎
Thats what i thought
Bull shit, Chris Opie is a former pro... what do you think will be the result? :D
@@patrick6931 also no hate but the host is a little chubby. Could do with a bit less e-biking.
It was a jokr but okay guys 👌
Nice one guys! Go Team MTB!
GMBN LOVE UR VIDEOS DUDES
Love your video, beautiful countryside... nice commentary. Really shows that an E-Bike is a lot more fun than a gravel bike, less bouncing around, less stress and more relaxed ride. For me, I believe that riding a bike is to have fun, not an ordeal.
Wonderful video... well done.
Thanks Hank! 👍
Grat video! My hat is off to the Gravel bike rider. Serious athlete.
So an overweight old guy (no disrespect Steve, I’m the same) on a 25kph ebike can beat a very fit, great rider on a gravel bike. I don’t get the complaining in the comments about the 25kph assist limit, get fitter or ride a moto... or just enjoy the unrestricted trail access on the 25kph ebike.
Entertaining video, great job guys!
lol freedom or limited freedom is in the eye of the beholder.
Anything to get the fat old dudes out off the A38
Or buy an ebike with no speed restriction
@@donaldbartholomew209 Yeah, that’s an e-moped... or get a KTM 300EXC that’s even better.
Great vid guys. Very interesting to see how completely different bikes perform on various terrains and looks like you had massive fun doing it too. Keep em coming :)
A great video one of the best I have seen. This brought back a lot of memories of the first time I went cycle touring in the Black Mountains in 1980.
these two guys are awesome. I have enjoyed watching this video.
Chris is superhuman but that gravel bike has a major advantage. It's WAY cheaper.
Still a very posh bike with the eTAP AXS wireless shifting on it! Both riding superbikes for sure! 👍
Yeah a £4000 bike with a £800 wheelset vs £7000 bike both big hitters
@@maxb7281 The Specialized S-Works Turbo Levo FSR is 11.299,00 €
2:07 into the vid and i'm screaming xDD Chris THREW his bike. Threw it.
"sheep as far as the eye can see, and as long as the ear can hear"
haha! They should come on over to New Zealand to film the next one ;-)
Great collaboration video! Chris has the best one liners!
Oppie got some acceleration in those legs! Surprised how little time he lost on some of those descents on those skinny tyres. Obviously he got some off-road skills.
Great video and great riders. Just because you've split the timings in 6 sections everyone could feel the fun.
I am a MTB born cyclist now a days a more gravel grinder/roadie but as my years keep adding up am sure I will put an EMTB on my stable and ride it a lot, because looks tons of fun... great work and kudos to the GCN work horse mr Opie.
"Either way, I was after you, and the sheep..." Those words are coming from a true Welshman.
Your videos are entertaining and educational. I only with the music was not so darn loud. I have to constantly adjust the volume. Love it!
Another great video boys. The ones with presenters from the other "channels" seem to work really well I reckon. I will say this though: 70K, daaaaam that's fast!
Thanks Paul 👍 Yea that's pretty fast!
Chris's expression at 7:20! Perfect.
Fun vid to watch! I was riding cross bikes before gravel bikes became a thing. Two cross bikes and two gravel with a few really old mountain bikes. One a downhill race bike.
GGBN - Global gravel biking network😂😂
Ryan29xm it totally should be a thing!
Zvelo no it shouldn’t
Ah, miss seeing Chris on GCN, he’s incredible.
Great showing of what both bikes can do!
Really entertaining video! Thanks guys, you're great!
Done that loop many times in both directions. The ride from Pen y Gadair Fawr down Crug Mawr must be one of the longest downhills in Wales. Great video guys but the gravel bike going via the Grwyne Fawr forest road really ruined the comparison but made the more entertaining video. Good work chaps.
ADEBISI ADEBISI no need to be an arsehole
Chris was fantastic alas I’m sold on the EMTB. Just about to check out which is the best for me and my pocket.
Thanks so much Steve.
Steve.
That was a fun video. I just got an eBike and love it. You can just ride all over the place.
Fun video. It shows that a group of people with different fitness levels can bike together and have a great day out. Emtb stimulates physical social networks, get togethers and physical activity. Something greatly needed in our screen oriented society! Kudo’s for the demo.
You two guys make it all look fun. Speed or bumps. thanks
Came here for Chris this was fun to watch and of course Steve is so cool 🤙🏼
Amazing content and love the channel
Could you not find a gravel e-bike, otherwise, what is the point?
For a bit of fun...
I'd say Chris's power is probably the equivalent of Steve + e-gravel bike 😉
Gavin you make a good point. I was going the other way and thinking why not bring Neil from GMBN to join the challenge on an enduro bike?
Not exactly a gravel bike, but www.orbea.com/gb-en/ebikes/road/gain-all-road/cat/gain-d31-19
Well it's the electric mountain bike network so....
Kinda funny, I had zero interests in watching this video! So glad I did, I thoroughly enjoyed it. I wouldn't even dream of attempting to take a gravel bike on this ride. Great work, keep the amazing vids coming, Cheers.
That was a great video - very entertaining!
Chris Opie is also very fast on a MTB. But knowing Chris he would love to ride the Emtb as well.
Only because I spent the last 20 years chasing you around Cornwall on an MTB
@@chrisopie87 you will have to join the fun revolution and come play with us on a Emtb when you are back home.
Scott Robinson sounds good to me!
Great video!! You guys definitely need to do more of these race videos. Compare ebikes, chain stays, travel and etc in a race format. 👍
I've got both and I love them both! Not the same sport but what a fun!
Great video. Great battle. Loved it!
Yes a little over my head but very necessary to plan for my future purchase.
Fun Video to watch. Well done guys. Impressive effort from Chris.
Nice to see Chris Opie on EMBN. But we still need proof he can ride a MTB.
So, how hard can Chris Opie shred?
Well he rides cardinham woods and poldice regularly in cornwall
Have both and would not like to pick between them. They are both brilliant at what they are made for. Must admit I think the ebike has more smiles per mile ! Chris Opie going downhill on the gravel bike was pure mad.
What’s fastest? ... both are a lot faster than waiting for a bus!
Excellent Conclusion .
@man0z "and if it's quicker, draft behind it lol" you, sir, have reached biker zen mode
Holy beautiful scenery
Great fun chaps, a fix of competitive sport during the lock down. My itch has been scratched!
Glad to be of service!
Great vid, it’s all about bikers getting out there and enjoying themselves regardless of what you ride 👌🏻
i recreated this last wednesday in the new forest. my mate had his la pierrre full sus emtb and I was on gravel bike. the main thing that slowed me down was the mega vibes on the rough terrain with no suspension on the downhills. bone shaking, then the climbs he tore me a new one. Still great fun. we had an emtb, gravel and normal full susser mtb. would like to try it with the future shock maybe like the new diverge. or a salsa with 100mm travel fork? top vid though fellas. keep the content coming.
Enjoyed the video, fantastic camera work.
you embn guys are hilarious, love it! :-D
Just remove the limiter. If you have a drivers license its perfectly legal and it goes like 40 km per hour without pedaling which makes it extra fun.
Yeah, they are called electric motorcycles
You guys that was great..loved it.....
Great video guys!!!!
The challenge vids are always quality.
The Marketing department is strong with this one ... literally, the only 2 categories that show any growth in the industry
An e-bike in the US would roast the gravel bike. It allows up to 32 kph assisted or 20 MPH instead of 15. Massive difference
I mean if you have have a drivers license you can buy one without the limiter and that goes like 40 kph without pedaling
Smashingly beautiful countryside. Great ride gentlemen.
Glad you enjoyed it
Really love the spirit of these 2 ...hilarious comparison really... :)
Gravel bikes are very technical. They're not for the inexperienced.
Thank you so much, I’ve oredered an Orbea h30 but I started to think I made the wrong decision until I saw this video and now it’s starting to make sense, only thing is I don’t have any ebike friends yet......
300 away for a 100 K good job!!! i enjoy your channel, thx!!
Very enjoyable .well done boys .
highly recommend this purchase!
Great video guys 😁🙏🏻
Loved that, more 'co-labs' please!!! great entertainment!!!
Superbly shot and entertaining as usual but the overwhelming fact here was a very fit cyclist against....... well, a Steve Jones!! Okay, the video proved that emtb is a great leveller but if it was similar riders then the margin would have been massive in favour of the ebike. Having said that, if I could afford a gravel bike like that it would get used as much as my ebike 😎
We still find it crazy Chris can put out 1600 Watts! Would be interesting to see Steve's output! 🤔
Electric Mountain Bike Network 😂
Would love to see this with an electric gravelbike like the Orbea Gain D31 or the Boardman ADV 8.9. They are. Bit heavier (13 kg), but benefit from the assist like the E-MTB.
I've seen a few riders on gravel bikes up on the hills lately and they all have the
"I bought the wrong bike" look of regret on their faces as they crawl up and down the hills.
Epic views. Well done.
2:04 how can you let the bike fall on the rear derailleur side like that??? OMG...
They dont care, they dont need to pay for it or when its broken.
Derailleur never touched the ground and besides its grass and dirt. If anything broke from that its a cheap POS component.
Had my first e bike (me ), versus gravel bike (my mate) ride tonite....he could eat me on the downhill and some of the undulating terrain but on the uphill i could pully away easily...overall the ride was a little too quick for me but damn good fun still.
Great challenge fantastic vid👍👍
Very fun video to watch
That was pretty awesome.
I do have a Levo and a Specilized Crux and they are both awesome bikes to ride
My mate bought his wife a Ribble eGravel bike and she joined us on a gravel trail along the Isar river with a 2 year old on the back and she kept up with us for 40km..... It was brilliant!
Excellent music.
Wold love to see this again but with the specialized creo gravel bike
Would be interesting to re-run with an e-gravel bike like the Ribble CGRe when that is available!
I really enjoyed this video music was awesome too:D 10/10
im fortunate to hav a 29er Scot FS Xcross bike, a 3T enduro gravel bike that i love, and a Ebike levo 2017 thats amazing. If I could only keep one???? the Gravel bike...... only based on where i live......... reality, have all three!!!
Really enjoyed this 👍
Cheers Trude!
5:00 Chris shorts has a hole, I guess it's from 1600w of power
That s works is very impressive in terms of weight considering the suspension and size of the battery onboard. Mind boggling
Most electric city bikes with 20 inch tyres without suspension are around that weight with half the battery capacity
I love my Giant Toughroad SLR 0 2019. Like flying.
Great vid, but I feel like gravel bike vs XC MTB would make more sense? GCN vs GMBN, Same kinda deal!
Great vid Boys! I'll take one of each bike.
wohooo...what a scenery
70kph down gravel....someone pass me the loo roll 😱