I did this course with a mate. Him riding his monster gravel bike and me on my xc full sus mtb. We were obviously going a lot slower than Si and Isaac. At a slower pace of avg 17 kph the differences aren't as stark I'd say. Our respective bikes were probably of similar weight differential albeit both heavier. The gravel bike was on chunky 2in tyres which levelled the playing field a fair bit. I was half expecting to die half way on my mtb having never ridden that far on it. But it was surprisingly comfortable! To me it was a win for the mtb just because I survived.
Really comes down to the length of the ride, the ones where you plan to ride 120km+ per day are not consistently rough enough to play into the strengths of a Mtb. You can have stretches where an Mtb is the better choice, but that advantage gets lost in the long distances it takes to link up those bits.
The best bike is the one you have for the places you ride, no matter what anybody else says, it's a personal preference. Where I ride, a Gravel bike might be 1-2kph quicker, but a hardtail MTB will be safer, quicker on the descents and 90% as capable everywhere else.
I really think it come downs to how much road or hard backed gravel your riding vs single track MTB course. As he said in the end on this ride he had only a few min the mountain bike had an advantage, the rest of the time he was working harder to do the same speed. There are many places where that would be reversed. I like that I can ride my gravel bike on group road rides(as long as the pace is comfortable) but not be afraid to hit some gravel or an easy single track that road bikes cannot even consider.
@@jflaim410 Easy single track is a walking path, hardly taxing stuff, even for kids on balance bikes. Gravel bikes on dedicated single tracks are funny to watch, they spend more time pushing than peddling.
The question is not which is faster but which is more fun! The course taken clearly favored gravel, there are other courses bettter suited to MTB. Even so, really enjoy these videos with Simon.
@@RzarectehI can definitely see gravel being more accessible imo, same for road biking. Trails are far here in Tokyo but almost all scenic mountain climbs are paved with roads so I bought a road bike instead of gravel, but I agree Gravel can be more flexible for exploring on average. I also have an MTB for weekend trail riding, but I use my road bike more due to accessibility. Wallet wasn't happy initially though lol.
Just bought my first gravel bike. This kind od riding is exactly what I do majority of the time. I keep my trusty XC 29 hardtail for the trail trips. Best to have both, every bike has its ups and downs but both are fun in their element. 🚴♂️
Woulda been interesting to see power numbers. On the flat sections, climb and the pavement. Would like to see how much power Isaac was having to do to keep up.
Exactly, it's useless with different riders and no power numbers. They should switch bikes and compare power between each bike, for each rider. It's like putting me on a S-works and a pro in the cheapest bike, and comparing our performance. Meaningless.
I guess it's individual opinion but on a 100 mile route like that a mtb would never be the right choice, it's slower, less efficient and you don't have multiple hand positions so way less comfortable (Thats why you rarely see mountain bikers do long distance rides)
The funny thing is that mountain bike handlebars were not that wide in the past. That was so that we didn't have to worry about catching on trees when riding singletrack. We also had bar ends attached that allowed for a change of position when climbing. I still ride with this set up
Yes, 750 is even by modern standarts a bit too big for an XC. Graveling, meanwhile, must be done with something around 600. Also, I like older Shimano and Tektro levers with stile of modern Maguras as I can use those like mini barends. Or even like road bar hoods, keeping in mind they are about 450-500mm apart. On that note, I often bring out retro-ish bikes to group rides and recently I was the only not scratched up and bleeding after passing through blackberry shrubs with my 560 bars. Didn't feel nice on the descends though, obviously.
My hands get numb after like 10 min. on bars wider than 620-640 and even then I need at least 15° back sweep. I could never ride a 700, let alone a 750. My wrists are just not made that way.
@@chrisridesbicycles thank you. I want to try "barn doors" for myself. I'm riding POC AIM for 3 seasons, happy with them that I haven't look for sunglasses for years but now is time for new.
What I learned (again) is that I’d prefer to be on a gravel bike when riding gravel and a mtb when riding big jumps, technical, berms and mtb stuff. This ride was all gravel all the way. I didn’t see one double or table top. A good question might be which type of riding takes more skills. 😊 But the question being asked is “which is faster” one also has to ask what kind of riding are we doing. Clearly, a gravel bike is faster on a gravel surface, but a mtb is faster on mtb stuff.
I had a gravel bike and a 140mm travel MTB - the gravel bike got sold after a year of owning it. Truth is I was taking both bikes on the same routes and the mountain bike was SO much more fun and comfortable.
Comfort at the sacrifice of a few km/h average speed & no interest in curly bars & brifters is what had me choose an XC hardtail last year. Put aero bars on it & it's more aero than most road set ups now.
Add SQlabs inner bar ends and a RIDE FARR loop and the MTB would be many times more comfortable on a ride of that duration. Looking at that terrain the gravel bike may still have made more sense as it was not rough (Horse section excluded - they are a pain). Once the terrain gets rougher then the MTB with the additional upgrades to the handlebar would really shine. Can also find flat bars with 12 deg or 16 deg sweep for better wrist ergonomics and retain the control benefits on rough terrain. Great video though - would like to have seen who used the most energy over the ride as this is what I thought they'd do since riding together throughout.
Looked like a great ride. Main take away for me was how much of the ride was traffic free. I don't want super gnarly mtb routes but I love being away from the traffic in those liminal spaces Issac mentioned.
I’d try gravel biking, I think any kind of cycling is fantastic and worth having a go, though I’m a mountain biker at heart. Excellent content guys, yet again. We need more crossover vids like this.
You'll love it. It's amazing for just cruising on gravel roads and forest paths. It is a whole different feeling compared to my trail bike that feels like a tractor as soon as I get off the trails.
I'm a commuter cyclist through and through! Used to cycle drops 25 years ago, a ladies step-through Raleigh racer. Then I got rear-ended by a car and wound up with a serious slip disc T6-T7. Went back to cycling in February 2020, before all COVID-19 hell broke loose. On a Hybrid Flatbar bike now. I'm 90% lazy 5% life getting in the way & 5% slip disc when it comes to heading out for a cycle. I agree, we need more crossover vids like this! Especially with tips 'n tricks for those who for whatever reason, cannot cycle drops.
@@TheGreenhillsCyclistInRagOrderI've a stable of bikes, TT, road, mountain, and it's my old hybrid on trails I ride and enjoy the most. And at near 60 it's the most comfortable for a mistreated old body. I'm looking for a not too aggressive geometry gravel bike but I have a feeling I'll go back to my old hybrid.
We love getting to hang our with our off-road siblings 🙌 Can you think of any cross channel challenges we could do? We here you... All cycling is fun! 🎉
I was a cycle courier in London 30yrs ago, I started on a racing bike and slide out..eventually twisting the frame. I got a mountain bike, the wide handlebars annoyed me , I got a hacksaw and chopped them down, ...this allowed me to fly through standing traffic without clipping their mirrors, it also transformed the riding experience completely. You should try it.
Flat bars on the MTB & curlies on the gravel? How do you find it switching back & forth? I would love to try curlies but as I'm a one bike type of guy I had to choose flats.
It's fine. Flat bars are simpler but offer less changes of hand position. The bigger difference is the width, MTB isn't quite so nimble as have to slow/stop for tight gaps.
Sorry guys but you need to do another video. This comparison only shows that a mountain bike is at a SLIGHT disadvantage on what was a gravel bike route. If you can repeat the comparison on a mountain bike route, not in the flatlands of the south, but in the lake district or peak district I think you’ll find that the gravel bike is at a HUGE disadvantage. OK wide bars may not be as streamlined but you can hold much closer to the centre when the riding is easy. On serious off road, wide bars are essential for control. By the way did you know that mudguards can be attached to bikes ;-) They may not look cool or macho but are worthwhile to prevent things being thrown up into your face when riding off road. Looking forward to the second video !
That's really good mate! My fastest over distance was 22km/h over a 30km ride. Maybe about 30% of it was offroad which probably cut it down somewhat. I should do a tarmac only route one day. (When I want to be bored to tears for the sake of better numbers I suppose....)@@AlenRi
I would like to see this challenge but with a few changes. The gravel bikes seem to shift tire sizes but always against a stock mountain bike with 2.2 tires, how about a hardtail, trim down the tires, and narrowed bars with bar ends. I bet the comparison would be closer! I currently ride an old specialized hardrock comp disc set up this way.
This in a nutshell is why I bought a gravel bike, exactly the type of terrain on my local routes (although a bit hillier because I'm in Scotland, but the weather certainly looked familiar!)
There's a bike for everything and every situation. I currently own a road bike, gravel and mountain bikes but N+1... Amazing trail and scenery! And welcome Isaac!
Big thanks to GCN for pushing gravel! This summer I took the ferry to Brittany and rode my gravel bike across the North coast. It was epic! Perfect for road, trail, and gravel mix, covering 70-100km daily! Gravel bikes rule and perfectly fill this adventure niche! I'd highly encourage you to consider a Brittany gravel adventure feature (of course via the ferry!) Keep inspiring, GCN!
Bar ends! Or, some other kind of alternate position on the MTB would increase the comfort level. I went out of my way to acquire a 1996 Giant Bronco to ride in a retro ride, and I love it!
I have a feeling that the CX MTB is perfect for this kind of ride and ready for much more, like some downhill or technical bits, while the gravel is also perfect for this kind of ride, but can't stretch much more to the off-road side... Probably boils down to personal preference and I think I would enjoy more the CX MTB
The gravel bike is much better equipped to hit pavement without sacrificing much to a road bike. The XC bike and gravel bike overlap a lot. I have both. and as you say the mountain bike is far more capable on knarly stuff.
Saw him too, but i have to admit, if i saw one of those gcn presenters at work , i would look equally stupid st what’s going on and which presenter it is 😅
I haven’t tried a gravel bike before, just road and MTB but I can’t see myself buying one, simply because the MTB takes me anywhere I want to go whether it’s on a trail, gravel, fields etc. It gives reassurance on any terrain and in any weather
I was like you too, then I bought one (a cheap one). Perfect tool for just going for a spin. After a couple of years I bought a nicer one and it sits in the garage next to my 170mm FS enduro bike, 120mm FS trail bike and HT backpacking bike. It’s main use is for local 2-4 hour lunch/evening rides from home of back lanes and farm & estate (I live in Scotland) lanes. “When you’ve only a hammer, everything looks like a nail.”
I think gravel is a great all around, for those who want to explore outside tarmac it's the best option if you only have one bike. I gravelized my mtb and was the best decision for mi typical use.
I know what you mean by "gravelizing" your mtb. Narrower faster rolling rear tyre..... Uh, that's about it really. Curly bars & brifters? Not on my bike!
@@ThisGuyRides Hey! It was the most affordable way, my bike already had a 1x10 and hydraulic brakes. With a rigid fork and a corner bar (Surly style) it completely transformed the bike. Probably if i sold it, would need to put some money and I'll get a similar drive train but with out the hydraulic brakes. Also, if i didn't like it was easy to be reversed.
@@myfrequencies1912 Not really, rigid fork and corner bar, kept my hydraulic brakes. I know i don't have the hoods but i don't really mind. Also, I kept the chunky tyres. Gravel has a really broad spectrum, mtb towards road bike (like mine), or road bike towards mtb (same drive train and just a bit more chunky tyre), and yes, everything you could think of in between.
As usually... it all depends ;) on the route or type of MTB bike - yeah, there is LOTS of them, you weirdly used a full-sus MTB (while I have for example fully rigid MTB). But it was a very interesting comparison, thanks! What kind-of annoys me about gravel bikes is that there is so much hype about them everywhere, they are actually way more expensive that they should be (in my opinion), while you can buy used high-end hard-tail for a fraction of a price of modern high-end gravel bike
Sure, but I think the point made is that for 80% of riders for 80% of a longer touring trip a MTB is often not really needed. It's the smaller portion of a long trip where you have nice trails in the forests or boulders in the alps and so on where the MTB shines ... for the most part of a long trip the MTB is slowing you down for aerodynamic reasons. I still would prefer the cushion of wider tires and suspension of a MTB over the faster gravel bike even if I "need" it only for 10% of my route.
@@stefanwagener if you can only walk through the nice forest part or ride with teeth chattering at best, what was the point going that far along those roads in the first place? Unless the road itself was the objective. It must always be picking the bike for the most desired/challenging/interesting part and dealing with consequences, no compromise. I'm still amazed people arguing about it
There's a local race near me that does ~20mi of single track, ~20mi of tarmac, and ~60mi of gravel. It's been interesting to see the bike choices each year. Loads of gravel bikes with the widest tires possible, but plenty of flat-bars as well. Every chunky decent I find myself questioning if I should have a suspension, too, as the mountain bikers soar by me while I ride my brakes and clinch my cheeks in fear. As soon as we hit a smoother bit or even a single-track climb, I remember why gravel bikes are awesome.
Back in the day, for fun, I ran a race that was typically won on a mountain bike on my CX bike. The race was a mix of single track, road, and gravel. It was hilarious racing against mountain bikes. I’d crush the smooth sections, then the MTB riders would reel me back in on the single track, just for me to pull away on the next smooth section. Over and over.
I love grave biking and bikepacking I'm not concerned about speed I love how comfortable they are. I do very little gravel riding nice to know if you hit some dirt or gravel that you are ok. Used to have a road bike but it wasn't as fun to ride. Love the GCN keep it up you guys rock!
I really liked this video. Isaac was the right choice to go on this ride! He brings a quality to the game that those other guys don't quite have. I used to love doing rides like this in my younger days. I wish gravel bike existed back then. Great job Si and Isaac.
Not wanting to start an argument but.... They've always existed just under different names! Plenty of videos on GCN asking questions like what's the difference between gravel & cyclocross? Gravel & Randonneur?
ปีที่แล้ว +11
2 favourite presenters talking about my most most hated subject gravel bikes. It is sure to be a banger.
Great vid. The whole area round the Ridgeway, Devizes, Avebury , Roundway and Cherhill Down, even with with that "fun" step descent is pretty much made for Gravel bikes. Really good when dry but also using a gravel bike means that there are lots of options in the winter too when the more exposed off road trails get too slippery/muddy/rutted.
Pretty sure that the off-road stuff in this video that the gravel bike "won" could have easily been done on a road bike. And the road bike would have been much faster on the paved sections. The gravel bike struggled with stairs in the beginning while a short travel MTB had zero issue. And I like how they just left out the part with the horse trails, probably because the gravel bike did a lot of walking in that section.
@@dvs620I have the same Canyon Grizl except mine is equipped with Ekar. Stairs are not a problem for it. Bigger stones going down steep hills however are and that is where I would say the limits of gravel bikes are.
'There can't be many people who do 120km mixed surface rides' Genuinely spooky as that was me yesterday. 120kms exactly and 1800m climbing which would have been a killer on my MTB. Included a short tootle down the Blue at Glentress. The looks you get at the cafe when you arrive on touring tyres with bags and aero bars are priceless.
GCN and GMBN bromances galore - Blake ❤ Hank and now Si ❤Isaac (but I think Si, now he is a senior, is more in love with the thought of going out for a ride with a young dude)
Thank you both and team for another wonderful video! For me the answer is in the name. When I ride shorter distances in a more hilly/mountainous area, with more technical single tracks, the MTB is amazing. In the future, I plan on doing multi-day trips here in Germany, and knowing how most long-distance cycling paths are too poorly for my road bike, it will be smarter to ride a gravel bike.
Maybe in southern England you can choose the one you like best, but in true mountains I think gravel bikes are not an option. MTB hands down. I never see that kind of bikes on my rides; it is simply not possible for them to manage those steep & rocky paths. Regards.
If this constitutes mountain biking in the UK then I certainly concede to your ruling. That being said, you shouldn't make the mistake of extrapolating your conclusions to the entire world. There are amazing places left, even on our fair continent, where a gravel bike simply won't suffice.
FYI Isaac, Devizes is in Wiltshire not Somerset. 😀 Despite the slight geographical muddle, what a brilliant video!As a GMBNer first and (very slightly) behind a GCNer, I think Si might be right, Isaac you might never be allowed on GMBN again! 😂 Loved the video, show casing a gorgeous part of the country to ride (and live) and the ‘good old British summer’ showed her character. Keep making the create content. 😀
Something that wasn't mentioned was the cost and complexity comparison. I dread to imagine the value of that full suss MTB with the added faff of suspension setup, servicing, and stuff. It'd be lovely to own a fleet of bikes for every genre, and the storage space, but in reality, not many have that luxury. Gravel bikes with large tyres are so versatile, they take on a fast tarmac road that links gravel or bridleways with ease, then can eat gravel miles fast and with no bother. Perfect for long days out on mixed terrain. Riding 'proper' MTB trails or visiting trail centres every weekend, then obviously, it's a different story.👍
I appreciate these videos. I own a Orbea Alma and have used it in gravel races and I would stick to a XC bike. The 100mm of travel up front helps with smoothing out those corrugated road. I did put some additional grips on for more hand positions
It will probably come down to the area you live in the riding you do. Great to hear that the hardtail has helped you try a whole heap of different racing 🙌
As a Bristol resident id love to get a copy of the route for this. Its been about 20 years since i regularly rode but caught the bug again in February and have been going mad for it! 100km st peters hospice event next weekend, did the bagman 60km cotswolds the other week. What have i been doing the last 20yrs you didnt ask? Abusing my body partying way too hard and generally neglecting my health. This years like an out of body experience. So if anyone knows this route id love to get my hands on it
The way I see it, the mountain bike just did that long ride no problem at all and the route was totally suited for a gravel bike with almost no steep or rough terrain and lots of straight flat road. With narrower faster tires, narrower bars, and some inboard bar ends the mtb would be faster and have another more aero hand position. Turn the tables though, and go do an all day ride on steep technical Mtb terrain, and the gravel bike would be no fun at all, uncomfortable, and dangerous. So I’d say mtb can manage any gravel condition, but at some point a gravel bike becomes ineffective where even an xc mtb can still be fun.
GCN has a video of Neil and Si in Iceland. Neil was absolutely torching Si going downhill and it wasn't gnarly singletrack, but just very dusty trails. The gravel bike kept digging it if i remember correctly. If you skew a ride heavily towards a gravel bike, it will win. If you add more singletrack, even tame routes, a cross country mountain bike will absolutely win.
@@prestachuck2867 That's like saying there hasn't been a single World Cup Downhill race won on a gravel bike. Or, a less outrageous comparison, find me the last World Championship winning cross country bike that was a gravel bike. Again, if you stack the course in your favor, of course you're going to win. Of all the "gravel" they rode in this video, a road bike would have handled it just as easily.
There's a video of the Battle at the Beach race or something like that where gravel bikes couldn't do the singletrack portion. Everyone pointed out how the gravel bikes won the race, but if riders weren't allowed to walk portions of the course, a gravel bike wouldn't have been able to complete the race while an XC bike would have done it with relative ease. These gravel bike videos always have exceptions to favor the gravel bike. If it's an XC bike, there's tons of paved routes. If it's a road bike, they throw in single track that punctures road tires, even if the gravel bike barely survives it itself. And don't get started on gravel bikes adding front suspension. Congrats gravel bike manufacturers, you rediscovered a 90s mountain bike, but with skinner, larger diameter wheels.
Yeah when I first bought my gravel bike I worried I would never ride it since I also own a road bike and a MTB. But it wasn't long until I realized that mix surface riding was on a gravel bike I could go much farther and reach trails I could not get to on my MTB. And it's great being able to achieve practically road speed on a gravel bike
Great video . Fun to watch two guys that know how to ride. Excellent scenic countryside. Good chemistry between Si and Issac made for an enjoyable watch.
In Yorkshire our bridleways are more rough/muddy so short travel XC mtb is my preference especially all year round- it might be a bit slower but less stressful!
I do not understand your complaints about bumpy rides. I've only ever ridden a BMX in literally any kind of road, and the only thing you have to do is use your knees and elbows as suspension. It's not even hard to do. Why do you need your bikes to have a suspension? it's just baffling to me, a casual rider who hasn't ridden for over 5 years...
This course was for MTB.. Gravel will be superior only if you include decent amount of tarmac road on that course. Where you can get more aero and go faster on gravel.. But if it's just off road like this there will be hardly any difference in performance. The only difference will be that it is much harder for gravel rider..
That's the kind of ride that is available in my location. Backcountry forest paths, a few paved roads and gravel along a river. I used to ride an MTB (like every 1990s kid), but I switched to a gravel/CX bike two years ago and enjoyed the ride more.
I like this video! I often go 55 km on gravelbike (my picture is from such a ride, stopping in the climb for berries and resting the legs), half asphalt and half the distance is gravel. Its made for such journeys. In my pre-dropbar era my mtb had a short bar with low position which was a good commuting setup. This video inspired me to choose mtb more often, and it pinpoints the fact that the difference between gravel and mtb is not big. It also shows that it doesnt matter much if journeymates has different types of bike. My semi-new mtb has very wide bar, maybe 78 cm. I seriously wonder if I should cut it. Maybe down to 66 cm? I also wonder if I should swop my gravelbar which has a form where the drops are bent out sideways and therefore more wide than optimal aero. And why do I more often choose my gravelbike? The answer is that usually half the journey is on asphalt, and gravelbikes is very good for asphalt with their more narrow bar and more grip positions. If it is a rooty singletracksection I will definitively pick my mtb.
As a 90s MTBer I love my gravel bikes. The variety of hand positions, the support and the ability to cruise fast makes the drop bars an obvious choice on mixed surfaces. MTBs are awesome, but horses for courses.
Always been a roadie with 19-25mm tyres and although it was good fun for a short ride I never really liked going out on my MTB…..However did my first gravel bike ride the other day and bloody loved it. 42mm knobbly tyres & 1 x 11 speed….gravel all the way from now on
I had a gravel and a hardtail bike which I used to swap up on my local 40k cross country loop (mainly bumpy farmers tracks, road and a bit of single track). Eventually put gravel tyres on my hard tail and sold the gravel bike as they covered the ground in the same time, but the mtb was so much more comfortable on the rough bits. On a longer loop with more more road bits, I'd try 35mm gravel kings on my road bike, as it's got the clearance. I love the look of Gravel Bikes, but never really been able to justify the space in my crammed bike shed 😁
I think if you were setting up a mountain bike for a ride like this you'd make some changes that would make the comparison more balanced. An easy bar swap could give you a narrower bar with a little more rise to get his weight off his arms. A set of bar ends and maybe even inner mounted bar ends would give more hand position and aero options. A tire change would level up the effort required to keep the bike moving. Good comparison. A follow up with a few changes to the MTB would be interesting.
Great to see a comparison over a good distance, rather than the usual “who is faster over a 12 second segment”. It showed well the strengths and weaknesses. Of course it seemed a bit of a gravel biased route, so let’s see Si go over to GMBN next and do a similar ride on a cross country route they pick. The blurred lines that gravel has created is so good for cycling in general.
People always want to compare gravel bikes to mtb's. I ride a "hybrid" 2019 Cannondale Quick CX2, with 32mm tyres round the tracks and hills of sunny Dorset. I can go anywhere a gravel bike will go just as fast but with front suspension it's so much more comfortable off road and great fun. You really should take a closer look at that category too.
Yeh but on a different route it could be the other way round! Not only that, it only takes 1 section to pop up that's too gnarly and the gravel bike is stumped! Whereas the only downside of the mtb seems to be it's slower! It's horses for courses buy the bike that suits your riding! If you're lucky enough to be able to afford multiple bikes then you've got the choice to ride where and how you like! The best bike is the one you're currently riding! I'm a big believer in that !
The point of this video is that for the majority of people who do not want to go gnarly on absolutely every single ride a gravel bike is a good option. I bought a used full suspension bike from a friend to try it out and I gave up pretty quickly because I really struggled to find any spots where I could really have fun on it. Most of the time I felt like riding a slow tractor 😂
@@inz_uzi 😂😂😂😂 that's a great way to describe riding a full suspension MTB! But! There are huge differences in mountain bikes. Riding a full suspension XC MTB is nothing like riding an Enduro MTB. I totally agree though and that's why I said buy the bike that suits what you ride. Pointless riding a Down Hill MTB rig on long gravel tracks! 🤣 😂 That's just not fun!
Great job guys! I am an all sports guy, so I have all the bikes. I have done both, rode 2 gravel, rode to trail, and trail 2 road 2 trail. Big fan of all of the above:)
Good Video !!! I'm a roadie, but have a mountian bike as well. Looking into turning my mountain bike into a "Hybridized Gravel Bike" .... you two did an awsome job comparing the two bikes. I guess it really depends on the surface that you will be riding on, the amount of mileage being ridden, and your comfort level. All in all, I like BOTH BIKES. Thank you for taking me alone for the ride !!!!
The route is made for gravel biking,also tyres specs are vastly different. Si is talking about racing speed on a canal path. Riding bikes are for enjoyment.
just have a bit of both worlds, i had a mountainbike, i just bought a gravelbike, the mountainbike is way faster and fun on the trail, but the gravelbike is more fun when you go on longer rides. maybe next time you can try to ride on a trail with a gravelbike, i quite sick to do.
I know gravel bikes with suspension forks have been addressed here in this channel already but I am not sure if they've been compared against MTBs. Wouldn't a gravel bike with suspension fork be a solution for maintaining a decently high speed in paths with light bumps? By the way, great video!
As someone who rides road and mountain bikes, this was fun. Given the distance and the terrain, a gravel bike makes perfect sense. More technical and shorter would have favored the mountain bike, but then it wouldn't have been the epic ride that it was.
You guys really ought to invest in some fenders. Or maybe the threat of being sprayed by the other rider's rear wheel is just that extra little motivation you need to keep the ride at a nice casual-competitive pace?
Turns out a gravel bike is better on a route designed for gravel bikes. What a surprise. The majority of off road in the UK is rooty, rocky and muddy and an MTB needed. I still don't see the point of gravel.
Now that this question has been answered, I think the real debate is between buying a gravel bike vs an endurance bike with wide tyres. I feel like gravel bikes have become a bit useless since you can get a road bike that can (almost) do it all with tyres up to 40 mm. Would love to see that on the channel! Cheers
On my gravelbike I have 44 mm tyres and suspension. I think it goes well on tarmac and guess that its good to have as big tyre clearance as you can get, therefore gravelbikes have an edge. For asphaltroadies I think gravelbike with 2 cogs in front is good, for example 48-31. I have only one 40 cog, and this does somewhat limit the speed when slightly declining.
I ride both bike types, a Shand Stooshie with Rockshox 40mm gravel fork, GRX Di2, Zipp 303s fitted with 38mm tubeless tyres (soon to be 40mm tyres) and an AM.130 Atherton decked out for xc/light trails stuff...admittedly not a xc race machine such as Isaac is riding. (at 760 the bars are even wider!) For the GCN video route I agree with the riders conclusion & always choose my Shand. However, for some of my 30 mile rides on the South Downs I'd be tempted to use my Atherton, good climbing, butter smooth over the bumps and a secure rocket on the bumpy ridge ridden off road downhill sections.
What would you choose? Gravel or Mtb? 🤔
Yes! 😆
I did this course with a mate. Him riding his monster gravel bike and me on my xc full sus mtb. We were obviously going a lot slower than Si and Isaac.
At a slower pace of avg 17 kph the differences aren't as stark I'd say. Our respective bikes were probably of similar weight differential albeit both heavier. The gravel bike was on chunky 2in tyres which levelled the playing field a fair bit.
I was half expecting to die half way on my mtb having never ridden that far on it. But it was surprisingly comfortable! To me it was a win for the mtb just because I survived.
Mtb with inner bar ends for me👍
Really comes down to the length of the ride, the ones where you plan to ride 120km+ per day are not consistently rough enough to play into the strengths of a Mtb.
You can have stretches where an Mtb is the better choice, but that advantage gets lost in the long distances it takes to link up those bits.
@@kilianortmann9979 Tell that to sofiane sehili, Marin de Saint-Exupéry, or the late great Mike Hall 😏
The best bike is the one you have for the places you ride, no matter what anybody else says, it's a personal preference. Where I ride, a Gravel bike might be 1-2kph quicker, but a hardtail MTB will be safer, quicker on the descents and 90% as capable everywhere else.
So true
And better at wheelies and jumps
I really think it come downs to how much road or hard backed gravel your riding vs single track MTB course. As he said in the end on this ride he had only a few min the mountain bike had an advantage, the rest of the time he was working harder to do the same speed. There are many places where that would be reversed. I like that I can ride my gravel bike on group road rides(as long as the pace is comfortable) but not be afraid to hit some gravel or an easy single track that road bikes cannot even consider.
@@jflaim410 Easy single track is a walking path, hardly taxing stuff, even for kids on balance bikes. Gravel bikes on dedicated single tracks are funny to watch, they spend more time pushing than peddling.
Amen
The question is not which is faster but which is more fun! The course taken clearly favored gravel, there are other courses bettter suited to MTB. Even so, really enjoy these videos with Simon.
Reason I favour MTB to gravel is exploration. You have to plan a gravel ride, you can go anywhere in any weather on a MTB without any planning.
Great point! Smiles over miles all day long 😎
@@RzarectehI can definitely see gravel being more accessible imo, same for road biking. Trails are far here in Tokyo but almost all scenic mountain climbs are paved with roads so I bought a road bike instead of gravel, but I agree Gravel can be more flexible for exploring on average.
I also have an MTB for weekend trail riding, but I use my road bike more due to accessibility. Wallet wasn't happy initially though lol.
@@Rzarectehabsolutely right, i think the key is exploration
@@Rzarecteh yeah but I am still confused why world trekkers prefer gravel. Got any insight?
Just bought my first gravel bike. This kind od riding is exactly what I do majority of the time. I keep my trusty XC 29 hardtail for the trail trips. Best to have both, every bike has its ups and downs but both are fun in their element. 🚴♂️
Woulda been interesting to see power numbers. On the flat sections, climb and the pavement. Would like to see how much power Isaac was having to do to keep up.
This. And total watts/kg burned.
Exactly, it's useless with different riders and no power numbers. They should switch bikes and compare power between each bike, for each rider. It's like putting me on a S-works and a pro in the cheapest bike, and comparing our performance. Meaningless.
Thats what I was hoping to see too. @Global Cycling Network
MTB all day long for me. Much more comfortable ride, suspension, better grip, better brakes, more robust. And you can go EVERYWHERE.
I guess it's individual opinion but on a 100 mile route like that a mtb would never be the right choice, it's slower, less efficient and you don't have multiple hand positions so way less comfortable (Thats why you rarely see mountain bikers do long distance rides)
That's why I have bar ends on my MTB
The brakes is an issue. Mtb brakes wwith 180mm discs are very good!
@@irfuel suspension for a ride like that? Lol
The funny thing is that mountain bike handlebars were not that wide in the past. That was so that we didn't have to worry about catching on trees when riding singletrack. We also had bar ends attached that allowed for a change of position when climbing. I still ride with this set up
Yes, 750 is even by modern standarts a bit too big for an XC. Graveling, meanwhile, must be done with something around 600.
Also, I like older Shimano and Tektro levers with stile of modern Maguras as I can use those like mini barends. Or even like road bar hoods, keeping in mind they are about 450-500mm apart.
On that note, I often bring out retro-ish bikes to group rides and recently I was the only not scratched up and bleeding after passing through blackberry shrubs with my 560 bars. Didn't feel nice on the descends though, obviously.
yep, just think Rockhopper.
My hands get numb after like 10 min. on bars wider than 620-640 and even then I need at least 15° back sweep. I could never ride a 700, let alone a 750. My wrists are just not made that way.
Nothing wrong with those old school set ups! Bar ends are still cool 😎
I've tried an inner bar ends on my hardtail and I don't even think about buying a gravel bike now :)
Only Si can talk about CdA wearing sunglasses the size of a barn door. 😂
What are those?
@@TenSapphires POC Devour
Those are the worst glasses I’ve ever seen. Lordy. @@chrisridesbicycles
@@chrisridesbicycles thank you. I want to try "barn doors" for myself. I'm riding POC AIM for 3 seasons, happy with them that I haven't look for sunglasses for years but now is time for new.
It might be more aero, kinda like a fairing or those huge tt helmet visors lol
What I learned (again) is that I’d prefer to be on a gravel bike when riding gravel and a mtb when riding big jumps, technical, berms and mtb stuff. This ride was all gravel all the way. I didn’t see one double or table top. A good question might be which type of riding takes more skills. 😊 But the question being asked is “which is faster” one also has to ask what kind of riding are we doing. Clearly, a gravel bike is faster on a gravel surface, but a mtb is faster on mtb stuff.
I had a gravel bike and a 140mm travel MTB - the gravel bike got sold after a year of owning it. Truth is I was taking both bikes on the same routes and the mountain bike was SO much more fun and comfortable.
Comfort at the sacrifice of a few km/h average speed & no interest in curly bars & brifters is what had me choose an XC hardtail last year. Put aero bars on it & it's more aero than most road set ups now.
@@myfrequencies1912you've got aero bars on your XC bike?
Sounds like you found the setup for you! The most important thing is to just keep cycling 🙌
Isaac’s dry sense of humour is great. I loved his line about turning corners.
...the ratios aren't there hahahahahahaha
To be fair to him... corners are hard! He's not used to them without berms 😵💫
@@gcn Didn't he race XC?
"The cream and strawberries are just around the next corner" :)
Bikers and humor?
Add SQlabs inner bar ends and a RIDE FARR loop and the MTB would be many times more comfortable on a ride of that duration. Looking at that terrain the gravel bike may still have made more sense as it was not rough (Horse section excluded - they are a pain). Once the terrain gets rougher then the MTB with the additional upgrades to the handlebar would really shine. Can also find flat bars with 12 deg or 16 deg sweep for better wrist ergonomics and retain the control benefits on rough terrain. Great video though - would like to have seen who used the most energy over the ride as this is what I thought they'd do since riding together throughout.
Looked like a great ride. Main take away for me was how much of the ride was traffic free. I don't want super gnarly mtb routes but I love being away from the traffic in those liminal spaces Issac mentioned.
That's why my road bike keeps collecting dust while my gravel bike and MTB are collecting dirt.
Might have to sell the road bike.
Gravel bikes can be great to finding those little hidden gems 🙌 Are you a gravel rider?
@@gcn built up new gravel bike during lockdown. Now I use it more than my roadbike!
I love when they are going up hill, how Simon is breathing so heavy and Isaac is right beside him explaining without breaking a sweat. . lol
We think Isaac could be trouble for us 😬
Looking forward to seeing more Isaac. Great addition to the team
GMBN
I’d try gravel biking, I think any kind of cycling is fantastic and worth having a go, though I’m a mountain biker at heart. Excellent content guys, yet again. We need more crossover vids like this.
You'll love it. It's amazing for just cruising on gravel roads and forest paths. It is a whole different feeling compared to my trail bike that feels like a tractor as soon as I get off the trails.
I'm a commuter cyclist through and through! Used to cycle drops 25 years ago, a ladies step-through Raleigh racer. Then I got rear-ended by a car and wound up with a serious slip disc T6-T7. Went back to cycling in February 2020, before all COVID-19 hell broke loose. On a Hybrid Flatbar bike now. I'm 90% lazy 5% life getting in the way & 5% slip disc when it comes to heading out for a cycle. I agree, we need more crossover vids like this! Especially with tips 'n tricks for those who for whatever reason, cannot cycle drops.
@@TheGreenhillsCyclistInRagOrderI've a stable of bikes, TT, road, mountain, and it's my old hybrid on trails I ride and enjoy the most. And at near 60 it's the most comfortable for a mistreated old body.
I'm looking for a not too aggressive geometry gravel bike but I have a feeling I'll go back to my old hybrid.
We love getting to hang our with our off-road siblings 🙌 Can you think of any cross channel challenges we could do? We here you... All cycling is fun! 🎉
@@gcn Something similar maybe but with the bikes swapped
I was a cycle courier in London 30yrs ago, I started on a racing bike and slide out..eventually twisting the frame.
I got a mountain bike, the wide handlebars annoyed me , I got a hacksaw and chopped them down, ...this allowed me to fly through standing traffic without clipping their mirrors, it also transformed the riding experience completely.
You should try it.
I run 760mm on my xc bike. I wonder about going narrower but I'm not in a city so it'd only be for minimal aero gains.
I have 29er MTB and gravel and thinking of getting rid of one, but each time I ride I think "this is ace I'll get rid of the other" so still got both!
Flat bars on the MTB & curlies on the gravel? How do you find it switching back & forth?
I would love to try curlies but as I'm a one bike type of guy I had to choose flats.
It's fine. Flat bars are simpler but offer less changes of hand position. The bigger difference is the width, MTB isn't quite so nimble as have to slow/stop for tight gaps.
Sorry guys but you need to do another video. This comparison only shows that a mountain bike is at a SLIGHT disadvantage on what was a gravel bike route. If you can repeat the comparison on a mountain bike route, not in the flatlands of the south, but in the lake district or peak district I think you’ll find that the gravel bike is at a HUGE disadvantage. OK wide bars may not be as streamlined but you can hold much closer to the centre when the riding is easy. On serious off road, wide bars are essential for control. By the way did you know that mudguards can be attached to bikes ;-) They may not look cool or macho but are worthwhile to prevent things being thrown up into your face when riding off road. Looking forward to the second video !
32km/h on a MTB, blimey that guys got legs haha
I love chasing road cyclists, or peletons at up to 40km/h on my aluminium hardtail and I am able to keep up with them!
And they were barely breathing hard!
My record on 200km ride is 27 km/h on a mtb, but it is all on road, no way that I could keep that avg speed on a offroad surface
That's really good mate! My fastest over distance was 22km/h over a 30km ride. Maybe about 30% of it was offroad which probably cut it down somewhat.
I should do a tarmac only route one day. (When I want to be bored to tears for the sake of better numbers I suppose....)@@AlenRi
@@AlenRi probably without breaks, or did you even had some?
I would like to see this challenge but with a few changes. The gravel bikes seem to shift tire sizes but always against a stock mountain bike with 2.2 tires, how about a hardtail, trim down the tires, and narrowed bars with bar ends. I bet the comparison would be closer! I currently ride an old specialized hardrock comp disc set up this way.
This in a nutshell is why I bought a gravel bike, exactly the type of terrain on my local routes (although a bit hillier because I'm in Scotland, but the weather certainly looked familiar!)
There's a bike for everything and every situation. I currently own a road bike, gravel and mountain bikes but N+1... Amazing trail and scenery! And welcome Isaac!
Big thanks to GCN for pushing gravel! This summer I took the ferry to Brittany and rode my gravel bike across the North coast. It was epic! Perfect for road, trail, and gravel mix, covering 70-100km daily! Gravel bikes rule and perfectly fill this adventure niche! I'd highly encourage you to consider a Brittany gravel adventure feature (of course via the ferry!)
Keep inspiring, GCN!
I'll second getting the ferry -- it's an adventure in itself and so much less hassle and stress than flying with your bike
Yeah I love that ferry to Roscoff. Pembroke Dock (SW Wales) to Rosslare in Ireland is another good one.
Great to hear we inspired some adventure within you! 🙌 Have you got anymore big rides planned? That trip sounds epic.
@Cameron Brittany adventure sounds wonderful....how did you go about planning the route? Would love to give it a bash. Thanks
Add aero bars in the mtb. Did 177 mile ride on a XC mtb with aero bars and it was super comfy.
I have aeros on my giant XTC. Not done more than 60 miles in one go yet, but I will!
Don't own a mountain or gravel bike, don't care, love these kind of GCN videos, could watch them all day 🤩🤩
This is great! 🙌 We love to entertain!
and you always do :) @@gcn
Bar ends! Or, some other kind of alternate position on the MTB would increase the comfort level. I went out of my way to acquire a 1996 Giant Bronco to ride in a retro ride, and I love it!
I have a feeling that the CX MTB is perfect for this kind of ride and ready for much more, like some downhill or technical bits, while the gravel is also perfect for this kind of ride, but can't stretch much more to the off-road side... Probably boils down to personal preference and I think I would enjoy more the CX MTB
The gravel bike is much better equipped to hit pavement without sacrificing much to a road bike. The XC bike and gravel bike overlap a lot. I have both. and as you say the mountain bike is far more capable on knarly stuff.
The guy in the back thinking @ 1:20
"He has such a nice bike, I need a new one."
"Lookt at it" *sigh*
Saw him too, but i have to admit, if i saw one of those gcn presenters at work , i would look equally stupid st what’s going on and which presenter it is 😅
I haven’t tried a gravel bike before, just road and MTB but I can’t see myself buying one, simply because the MTB takes me anywhere I want to go whether it’s on a trail, gravel, fields etc. It gives reassurance on any terrain and in any weather
Fair, but they are a lot of fun for being more versatile
I was like you too, then I bought one (a cheap one). Perfect tool for just going for a spin.
After a couple of years I bought a nicer one and it sits in the garage next to my 170mm FS enduro bike, 120mm FS trail bike and HT backpacking bike.
It’s main use is for local 2-4 hour lunch/evening rides from home of back lanes and farm & estate (I live in Scotland) lanes.
“When you’ve only a hammer, everything looks like a nail.”
I think gravel is a great all around, for those who want to explore outside tarmac it's the best option if you only have one bike. I gravelized my mtb and was the best decision for mi typical use.
Wouldn't it have been better if you sold your MTB and got a dedicated gravel bike instead of gravelizing an MTB?
I know what you mean by "gravelizing" your mtb. Narrower faster rolling rear tyre..... Uh, that's about it really. Curly bars & brifters? Not on my bike!
@@ThisGuyRides Hey! It was the most affordable way, my bike already had a 1x10 and hydraulic brakes. With a rigid fork and a corner bar (Surly style) it completely transformed the bike. Probably if i sold it, would need to put some money and I'll get a similar drive train but with out the hydraulic brakes. Also, if i didn't like it was easy to be reversed.
@@myfrequencies1912 Not really, rigid fork and corner bar, kept my hydraulic brakes. I know i don't have the hoods but i don't really mind. Also, I kept the chunky tyres. Gravel has a really broad spectrum, mtb towards road bike (like mine), or road bike towards mtb (same drive train and just a bit more chunky tyre), and yes, everything you could think of in between.
That Surly Corner bar is one of a kind. It's half flats & half drops. Truly this is what gravel bikes should have as standard.@@MarianVC57
As usually... it all depends ;) on the route or type of MTB bike - yeah, there is LOTS of them, you weirdly used a full-sus MTB (while I have for example fully rigid MTB). But it was a very interesting comparison, thanks!
What kind-of annoys me about gravel bikes is that there is so much hype about them everywhere, they are actually way more expensive that they should be (in my opinion), while you can buy used high-end hard-tail for a fraction of a price of modern high-end gravel bike
Ok, I'll guess the solution is based on the specific route.
Sure, but I think the point made is that for 80% of riders for 80% of a longer touring trip a MTB is often not really needed. It's the smaller portion of a long trip where you have nice trails in the forests or boulders in the alps and so on where the MTB shines ... for the most part of a long trip the MTB is slowing you down for aerodynamic reasons.
I still would prefer the cushion of wider tires and suspension of a MTB over the faster gravel bike even if I "need" it only for 10% of my route.
No, the longer route you plan, the less of it will be very technical riding.
@@stefanwagener if you can only walk through the nice forest part or ride with teeth chattering at best, what was the point going that far along those roads in the first place? Unless the road itself was the objective.
It must always be picking the bike for the most desired/challenging/interesting part and dealing with consequences, no compromise. I'm still amazed people arguing about it
There's a local race near me that does ~20mi of single track, ~20mi of tarmac, and ~60mi of gravel. It's been interesting to see the bike choices each year. Loads of gravel bikes with the widest tires possible, but plenty of flat-bars as well. Every chunky decent I find myself questioning if I should have a suspension, too, as the mountain bikers soar by me while I ride my brakes and clinch my cheeks in fear. As soon as we hit a smoother bit or even a single-track climb, I remember why gravel bikes are awesome.
Back in the day, for fun, I ran a race that was typically won on a mountain bike on my CX bike. The race was a mix of single track, road, and gravel. It was hilarious racing against mountain bikes. I’d crush the smooth sections, then the MTB riders would reel me back in on the single track, just for me to pull away on the next smooth section. Over and over.
I love grave biking and bikepacking I'm not concerned about speed I love how comfortable they are. I do very little gravel riding nice to know if you hit some dirt or gravel that you are ok. Used to have a road bike but it wasn't as fun to ride. Love the GCN keep it up you guys rock!
Gravel bikes aren't just good on gravel. For many they offer the perfect bike! Comfortable, reliable and fast... what more could you want?
I really liked this video. Isaac was the right choice to go on this ride! He brings a quality to the game that those other guys don't quite have. I used to love doing rides like this in my younger days. I wish gravel bike existed back then. Great job Si and Isaac.
Not wanting to start an argument but.... They've always existed just under different names! Plenty of videos on GCN asking questions like what's the difference between gravel & cyclocross? Gravel & Randonneur?
2 favourite presenters talking about my most most hated subject gravel bikes. It is sure to be a banger.
Great vid. The whole area round the Ridgeway, Devizes, Avebury , Roundway and Cherhill Down, even with with that "fun" step descent is pretty much made for Gravel bikes. Really good when dry but also using a gravel bike means that there are lots of options in the winter too when the more exposed off road trails get too slippery/muddy/rutted.
I'm so lucky to live there !
Love that Issac is working with you guys, elite level 4x rider before switching to road.
what makes a gravel bike great and unique in my opinion is stringing together road and off-road sections better than any other bike.
Pretty sure that the off-road stuff in this video that the gravel bike "won" could have easily been done on a road bike. And the road bike would have been much faster on the paved sections.
The gravel bike struggled with stairs in the beginning while a short travel MTB had zero issue. And I like how they just left out the part with the horse trails, probably because the gravel bike did a lot of walking in that section.
@@dvs620I have the same Canyon Grizl except mine is equipped with Ekar. Stairs are not a problem for it.
Bigger stones going down steep hills however are and that is where I would say the limits of gravel bikes are.
'There can't be many people who do 120km mixed surface rides' Genuinely spooky as that was me yesterday. 120kms exactly and 1800m climbing which would have been a killer on my MTB. Included a short tootle down the Blue at Glentress. The looks you get at the cafe when you arrive on touring tyres with bags and aero bars are priceless.
Exactly. On my gravel bike, I always feel it's the best tool to get from A to B, especially if the points are distant.
This looks like a blast. As long as it’s warm I absolutely love riding in the rain even in heavy downpours. 💪👍
Put some tri-bars on the mtb or inner bar ends...or ride on a surface that's actually bumpy!
I have aeros on my xc bike. Was a joke at first but they really work for av. speed & even comfort if set up right.
GCN and GMBN bromances galore - Blake ❤ Hank and now Si ❤Isaac (but I think Si, now he is a senior, is more in love with the thought of going out for a ride with a young dude)
Thank you both and team for another wonderful video! For me the answer is in the name. When I ride shorter distances in a more hilly/mountainous area, with more technical single tracks, the MTB is amazing. In the future, I plan on doing multi-day trips here in Germany, and knowing how most long-distance cycling paths are too poorly for my road bike, it will be smarter to ride a gravel bike.
Maybe in southern England you can choose the one you like best, but in true mountains I think gravel bikes are not an option. MTB hands down. I never see that kind of bikes on my rides; it is simply not possible for them to manage those steep & rocky paths. Regards.
If this constitutes mountain biking in the UK then I certainly concede to your ruling. That being said, you shouldn't make the mistake of extrapolating your conclusions to the entire world. There are amazing places left, even on our fair continent, where a gravel bike simply won't suffice.
You mean the actual mountains 🤔
Where did they say it was mtb-ing?
FYI Isaac, Devizes is in Wiltshire not Somerset. 😀
Despite the slight geographical muddle, what a brilliant video!As a GMBNer first and (very slightly) behind a GCNer, I think Si might be right, Isaac you might never be allowed on GMBN again! 😂 Loved the video, show casing a gorgeous part of the country to ride (and live) and the ‘good old British summer’ showed her character. Keep making the create content. 😀
I think gravel bikes need front suspension, say 60mm to stop the wrist pounding from pot holes and roots
It's starting to become standard equipment on high end G-bikes now. Prices are insane though as with anything new.
Something that wasn't mentioned was the cost and complexity comparison. I dread to imagine the value of that full suss MTB with the added faff of suspension setup, servicing, and stuff.
It'd be lovely to own a fleet of bikes for every genre, and the storage space, but in reality, not many have that luxury.
Gravel bikes with large tyres are so versatile, they take on a fast tarmac road that links gravel or bridleways with ease, then can eat gravel miles fast and with no bother. Perfect for long days out on mixed terrain.
Riding 'proper' MTB trails or visiting trail centres every weekend, then obviously, it's a different story.👍
Good discussion and WONDERFUL video. I loved seeing the countryside, canals, etc. . Thank you!
Great head to head. Funny, sassy & helpful. Makes me want to bike in Summerset.
And what about dropbar MTBs? Like classic Salsa Cutthroat. You can even put suspension in there if needed.
I appreciate these videos.
I own a Orbea Alma and have used it in gravel races and I would stick to a XC bike. The 100mm of travel up front helps with smoothing out those corrugated road. I did put some additional grips on for more hand positions
It will probably come down to the area you live in the riding you do. Great to hear that the hardtail has helped you try a whole heap of different racing 🙌
As a Bristol resident id love to get a copy of the route for this. Its been about 20 years since i regularly rode but caught the bug again in February and have been going mad for it! 100km st peters hospice event next weekend, did the bagman 60km cotswolds the other week.
What have i been doing the last 20yrs you didnt ask?
Abusing my body partying way too hard and generally neglecting my health. This years like an out of body experience.
So if anyone knows this route id love to get my hands on it
The way I see it, the mountain bike just did that long ride no problem at all and the route was totally suited for a gravel bike with almost no steep or rough terrain and lots of straight flat road. With narrower faster tires, narrower bars, and some inboard bar ends the mtb would be faster and have another more aero hand position. Turn the tables though, and go do an all day ride on steep technical Mtb terrain, and the gravel bike would be no fun at all, uncomfortable, and dangerous. So I’d say mtb can manage any gravel condition, but at some point a gravel bike becomes ineffective where even an xc mtb can still be fun.
GCN has a video of Neil and Si in Iceland. Neil was absolutely torching Si going downhill and it wasn't gnarly singletrack, but just very dusty trails. The gravel bike kept digging it if i remember correctly.
If you skew a ride heavily towards a gravel bike, it will win. If you add more singletrack, even tame routes, a cross country mountain bike will absolutely win.
True, but there still has not been a single Kanza/Unbound event won on a mountain bike.
@@prestachuck2867 That's like saying there hasn't been a single World Cup Downhill race won on a gravel bike. Or, a less outrageous comparison, find me the last World Championship winning cross country bike that was a gravel bike.
Again, if you stack the course in your favor, of course you're going to win. Of all the "gravel" they rode in this video, a road bike would have handled it just as easily.
There's a video of the Battle at the Beach race or something like that where gravel bikes couldn't do the singletrack portion. Everyone pointed out how the gravel bikes won the race, but if riders weren't allowed to walk portions of the course, a gravel bike wouldn't have been able to complete the race while an XC bike would have done it with relative ease.
These gravel bike videos always have exceptions to favor the gravel bike. If it's an XC bike, there's tons of paved routes. If it's a road bike, they throw in single track that punctures road tires, even if the gravel bike barely survives it itself. And don't get started on gravel bikes adding front suspension.
Congrats gravel bike manufacturers, you rediscovered a 90s mountain bike, but with skinner, larger diameter wheels.
10:25 That moment in a group ride when you're gasping for air while the other one is just casually talking to you.
Yeah when I first bought my gravel bike I worried I would never ride it since I also own a road bike and a MTB. But it wasn't long until I realized that mix surface riding was on a gravel bike I could go much farther and reach trails I could not get to on my MTB. And it's great being able to achieve practically road speed on a gravel bike
Great video . Fun to watch two guys that know how to ride. Excellent scenic countryside. Good chemistry between Si and Issac made for an enjoyable watch.
In Yorkshire our bridleways are more rough/muddy so short travel XC mtb is my preference especially all year round- it might be a bit slower but less stressful!
Loved this video, the smiles on both your faces said it all.
I do not understand your complaints about bumpy rides. I've only ever ridden a BMX in literally any kind of road, and the only thing you have to do is use your knees and elbows as suspension. It's not even hard to do.
Why do you need your bikes to have a suspension? it's just baffling to me, a casual rider who hasn't ridden for over 5 years...
This course was for MTB.. Gravel will be superior only if you include decent amount of tarmac road on that course. Where you can get more aero and go faster on gravel.. But if it's just off road like this there will be hardly any difference in performance. The only difference will be that it is much harder for gravel rider..
That's the kind of ride that is available in my location. Backcountry forest paths, a few paved roads and gravel along a river. I used to ride an MTB (like every 1990s kid), but I switched to a gravel/CX bike two years ago and enjoyed the ride more.
I like this video! I often go 55 km on gravelbike (my picture is from such a ride, stopping in the climb for berries and resting the legs), half asphalt and half the distance is gravel. Its made for such journeys. In my pre-dropbar era my mtb had a short bar with low position which was a good commuting setup. This video inspired me to choose mtb more often, and it pinpoints the fact that the difference between gravel and mtb is not big. It also shows that it doesnt matter much if journeymates has different types of bike.
My semi-new mtb has very wide bar, maybe 78 cm. I seriously wonder if I should cut it. Maybe down to 66 cm? I also wonder if I should swop my gravelbar which has a form where the drops are bent out sideways and therefore more wide than optimal aero.
And why do I more often choose my gravelbike? The answer is that usually half the journey is on asphalt, and gravelbikes is very good for asphalt with their more narrow bar and more grip positions. If it is a rooty singletracksection I will definitively pick my mtb.
Can't wait for the next time they 'finally get to the bottom of the mountain bike vs gravel bike debate'
the route was so biased for gravel you may aswell do the next video on taking the gravel bike to a bike park and hitting some jumps.
As a 90s MTBer I love my gravel bikes. The variety of hand positions, the support and the ability to cruise fast makes the drop bars an obvious choice on mixed surfaces.
MTBs are awesome, but horses for courses.
That ride was nowhere near rough enough to make the comparison
Did you see the video with Connor trying to convert GMBN's Rich to gravel? Well worth a watch.
I love my flat bars gravel bike - as I love the fact it’s not the same position as my road bike - a change is as good as a rest
Always been a roadie with 19-25mm tyres and although it was good fun for a short ride I never really liked going out on my MTB…..However did my first gravel bike ride the other day and bloody loved it. 42mm knobbly tyres & 1 x 11 speed….gravel all the way from now on
I had a gravel and a hardtail bike which I used to swap up on my local 40k cross country loop (mainly bumpy farmers tracks, road and a bit of single track). Eventually put gravel tyres on my hard tail and sold the gravel bike as they covered the ground in the same time, but the mtb was so much more comfortable on the rough bits. On a longer loop with more more road bits, I'd try 35mm gravel kings on my road bike, as it's got the clearance. I love the look of Gravel Bikes, but never really been able to justify the space in my crammed bike shed 😁
I think if you were setting up a mountain bike for a ride like this you'd make some changes that would make the comparison more balanced. An easy bar swap could give you a narrower bar with a little more rise to get his weight off his arms. A set of bar ends and maybe even inner mounted bar ends would give more hand position and aero options. A tire change would level up the effort required to keep the bike moving. Good comparison. A follow up with a few changes to the MTB would be interesting.
Thank you for another year of enjoyment. The best channel on youtube 🙏
Gravel bikes are lit, but they could never take on some of the downhill descents some mountain bikes can do
Great to see a comparison over a good distance, rather than the usual “who is faster over a 12 second segment”. It showed well the strengths and weaknesses. Of course it seemed a bit of a gravel biased route, so let’s see Si go over to GMBN next and do a similar ride on a cross country route they pick. The blurred lines that gravel has created is so good for cycling in general.
People always want to compare gravel bikes to mtb's. I ride a "hybrid" 2019 Cannondale Quick CX2, with 32mm tyres round the tracks and hills of sunny Dorset. I can go anywhere a gravel bike will go just as fast but with front suspension it's so much more comfortable off road and great fun. You really should take a closer look at that category too.
2:42 10kg for a full-sus mountain bike. What a world in which we live.
Surreal. My Aluminium Gravel with 28c road tires is around that weight.
It's not. Canyon lists it a little over 11KG
@@jamesworley2674 There are such things as upgrades.
Nice watch. However, the weather put me off going on my bike.
This looks like a blast. As long as it’s warm I absolutely love riding in the rain even in heavy downpours.
Yeh but on a different route it could be the other way round! Not only that, it only takes 1 section to pop up that's too gnarly and the gravel bike is stumped! Whereas the only downside of the mtb seems to be it's slower! It's horses for courses buy the bike that suits your riding! If you're lucky enough to be able to afford multiple bikes then you've got the choice to ride where and how you like! The best bike is the one you're currently riding! I'm a big believer in that !
The point of this video is that for the majority of people who do not want to go gnarly on absolutely every single ride a gravel bike is a good option. I bought a used full suspension bike from a friend to try it out and I gave up pretty quickly because I really struggled to find any spots where I could really have fun on it. Most of the time I felt like riding a slow tractor 😂
@@inz_uzi 😂😂😂😂 that's a great way to describe riding a full suspension MTB! But! There are huge differences in mountain bikes. Riding a full suspension XC MTB is nothing like riding an Enduro MTB. I totally agree though and that's why I said buy the bike that suits what you ride. Pointless riding a Down Hill MTB rig on long gravel tracks! 🤣 😂 That's just not fun!
MTB for sure! Also, before the ride started i wondered when you guys were gonna put ya gloves on!?
Gravel is good in very specific light offroad conditions, it's terrible on rocky mountain terrain.
That's why it's called GRAVEL bike, not mountain bike. 🤨
@@inz_uzi😂 exactly!
Lightweight XC MTB works for me. A bit slower, but more comfortable. I hate pavement sections anyway - riding with cars is not fun :)
Great job guys! I am an all sports guy, so I have all the bikes. I have done both, rode 2 gravel, rode to trail, and trail 2 road 2 trail. Big fan of all of the above:)
Good Video !!! I'm a roadie, but have a mountian bike as well. Looking into turning my mountain bike into a "Hybridized Gravel Bike" .... you two did an awsome job comparing the two bikes. I guess it really depends on the surface that you will be riding on, the amount of mileage being ridden, and your comfort level. All in all, I like BOTH BIKES. Thank you for taking me alone for the ride !!!!
Turning your MTB into a proper adventure bike can be done. Google Lael Wilcox and you'll find pictures of her and her custom Specialized Epic.
@@irfuelcarbon wheels ? That's light!
I have tried gravel but it resulted in a wrist injury in a rocky descent, such a thing would hardly have happened on a mtb.
The route is made for gravel biking,also tyres specs are vastly different. Si is talking about racing speed on a canal path. Riding bikes are for enjoyment.
These are the kind of rides I dream about. Exploring new routes with flats, hills, descents, mixed surfaces and mixed weather.
just have a bit of both worlds, i had a mountainbike, i just bought a gravelbike, the mountainbike is way faster and fun on the trail, but the gravelbike is more fun when you go on longer rides. maybe next time you can try to ride on a trail with a gravelbike, i quite sick to do.
I know gravel bikes with suspension forks have been addressed here in this channel already but I am not sure if they've been compared against MTBs. Wouldn't a gravel bike with suspension fork be a solution for maintaining a decently high speed in paths with light bumps?
By the way, great video!
So the conclusion, you need to have both😊
Excellent video chaps. Nice to do it again on a bumpier, hillier (Scottish?) route - ??
As someone who rides road and mountain bikes, this was fun. Given the distance and the terrain, a gravel bike makes perfect sense. More technical and shorter would have favored the mountain bike, but then it wouldn't have been the epic ride that it was.
You guys really ought to invest in some fenders. Or maybe the threat of being sprayed by the other rider's rear wheel is just that extra little motivation you need to keep the ride at a nice casual-competitive pace?
Turns out a gravel bike is better on a route designed for gravel bikes. What a surprise. The majority of off road in the UK is rooty, rocky and muddy and an MTB needed. I still don't see the point of gravel.
Now that this question has been answered, I think the real debate is between buying a gravel bike vs an endurance bike with wide tyres. I feel like gravel bikes have become a bit useless since you can get a road bike that can (almost) do it all with tyres up to 40 mm. Would love to see that on the channel! Cheers
On my gravelbike I have 44 mm tyres and suspension. I think it goes well on tarmac and guess that its good to have as big tyre clearance as you can get, therefore gravelbikes have an edge. For asphaltroadies I think gravelbike with 2 cogs in front is good, for example 48-31. I have only one 40 cog, and this does somewhat limit the speed when slightly declining.
I ride both bike types, a Shand Stooshie with Rockshox 40mm gravel fork, GRX Di2, Zipp 303s fitted with 38mm tubeless tyres (soon to be 40mm tyres) and an AM.130 Atherton decked out for xc/light trails stuff...admittedly not a xc race machine such as Isaac is riding. (at 760 the bars are even wider!) For the GCN video route I agree with the riders conclusion & always choose my Shand. However, for some of my 30 mile rides on the South Downs I'd be tempted to use my Atherton, good climbing, butter smooth over the bumps and a secure rocket on the bumpy ridge ridden off road downhill sections.