Cycle Travel Overload

Cycle Travel Overload

Bikepacking & Adventure Cycling

Gravel Bike For Touring – 6 Best Gravel Bikes For Touring!

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Updated: 17th March 2024

The question of whether a gravel bike is suitable for longer bicycle tours receives a definitive yes. However, before you rush to purchase a gravel bike, it’s essential to consider several factors to ensure it meets your needs and preferences.

Are gravel bikes good for touring?

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A good number of gravel bikes out there are primed and ready for touring adventures, but let’s not paint them all with the same brush. Diving into the gravel bike scene requires a bit of a detective’s eye for detail, particularly when it comes to bike geometry. It’s this clever design that dictates how stable, comfortable, and gear-friendly your bike will be.

Build quality, too, plays a starring role in ensuring your ride feels just right, especially when loaded up for touring. And then there’s the gear saga – gearing options vary widely among gravel bikes, with some offering a more limited range than you might need for varied terrain.

Indeed, not every gravel bike is cut out for the touring life, and recognizing the stars from the understudies in the gravel bike world is key to setting off on your next grand tour with confidence.

Gravel bikes have surged in popularity for a good reason. They offer the versatility to venture further, exploring off-the-beaten paths as well as paved roads. This adaptability makes them an appealing choice over traditional touring bikes for many cyclists.

But before diving into the differences between touring and gravel bikes, let’s address a crucial decision: the type of riding you anticipate. Will your journeys consist mainly of gravel and off-road trails with a sprinkle of pavement, or do you envision sticking to tarmac?

Traditional touring bikes are typically designed for pavement riding and are known for their robust build. Though you can certainly fit gravel tires on a touring bike , which works to some extent, the key distinction lies in the bike’s geometry.

Gravel bikes often feature a more aggressive riding position , akin to cyclocross bikes, which may not be ideal for extended periods in the saddle. Additionally, when equipped with panniers, the handling of a gravel bike might not be as fine-tuned as desired due to considerations like chainstay length and wheelbase, which are critical for a comfortable touring experience.

You might want to consider a modern touring bike!

If you read our article version of this video. You will unveil a treasure trove of “touring bikes” that seamlessly transition into the gravel biking realm. Remember, the line between touring and gravel bikes isn’t strictly defined—it’s more of a gradient worth exploring. Among the bikes featured in our post, you might just find the perfect companion for your upcoming gravel tour!

What is a Gravel Bike? (For Touring)

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The realm of gravel bikes suited for touring is fascinatingly broad, introducing us to the subset known as “light-touring bikes.” These machines are the hybrids of the cycling world, blending the agility and adventurous spirit of gravel bikes with the durability and carrying capacity of traditional touring bikes.

Light-touring bikes are designed for the cyclist who yearns for versatility. They are nimble enough to tackle gravel paths and sturdy enough to bear the load of multi-day touring essentials without the heft associated with classic touring bikes. This balance is achieved through thoughtful geometry, material choices, and componentry that cater to both comfort and efficiency over varied terrains.

A gravel bike, often described as the love child of mountain bikes (MTB) and road bikes, is designed to conquer a variety of terrains and surfaces, earning it the nickname “all-road” bike.

These bikes are built for the adventure-seeker who doesn’t want to be limited by the type of ground beneath their wheels.

They combine the rugged capability to navigate trails and gravel paths—though not quite as extreme as those suited for a dedicated mountain bike—with the agility to speed along tarmac roads, offering the best of both worlds.

As the gravel bike market evolves, we see an increasing array of options tailored to specific riding preferences. Some models lean more towards road cycling , with features and designs optimized for speed and pavement performance. In contrast, others inherit more traits from their mountain biking cousins , equipped to handle tougher, more challenging terrains.

there’s a niche yet intriguing category known as lightweight touring bikes, which stands distinct from the “light-touring” bikes primarily due to their construction. These bikes are engineered to be featherlight, often embracing carbon as their material of choice. This choice prioritizes speed and ease of handling over the rugged durability one might expect from a touring bike designed for the long haul.

While carbon’s lightweight nature makes these bikes a delight for covering distances with less effort, it might not be the first pick for those who prize durability above all, especially on unpredictable terrains. I have a soft spot for steel, possibly showing a bit of bias, given its renowned toughness and resilience. Steel has a way of handling the bumps and scrapes of adventurous touring with a steadfastness that’s hard to match.

However, exploring the world of carbon lightweight touring bikes is an adventure in itself. They offer a unique blend of performance and agility that can significantly enhance the touring experience, especially for riders looking to keep the pace up and the load light. While they may not be the traditional workhorses of the touring world, they certainly carve out their own path for those willing to trade a bit of ruggedness for speed and sleekness.

The Lightest Touring Bike! – Carbon Touring Bikes

One of the defining characteristics of gravel bikes is their versatility, especially when it comes to bicycle touring. Their geometry is typically more relaxed compared to traditional road bikes, prioritizing comfort for long days of riding. Additionally, they are designed to carry extra gear, making them ideal companions for both short excursions and extensive touring adventures.

In the diverse world of gravel biking, we encounter specialized variants known as “adventure bikes” or bikepacking gravel bikes . Crafted with intention, these bikes are designed specifically for the rigors and rewards of bikepacking journeys. Adventure bikes cater to cyclists who crave the thrill of exploration without sacrificing the practicalities needed for extended off-road adventures.

Another intriguing category is that of drop bar mountain bikes . These bikes merge the robustness of mountain biking with a nod to road cycling’s heritage through their use of drop bars.

These drop bar mountain bikes are lauded for their mountain bike-like DNA, enhancing their ability to navigate through tough, demanding landscapes. This particular niche blurs the traditional boundaries between bike types, underscoring the vast possibilities and adventures that the broader category of gravel bikes can unlock.

What to Consider in a Gravel Bike for Touring

Selecting the right gravel bike for touring involves finding the perfect balance between road and mountain bike features tailored to your riding preferences. Gravel bikes, with their versatility, excel in fulfilling the roles of a touring bike, especially for those planning to traverse primarily gravel paths. However, several key aspects warrant close attention.

The geometry of the bike is paramount. It’s advisable to steer clear of cyclocross bikes for touring purposes due to their race-oriented geometry, which includes shorter chainstays, wheelbase, trail, front center, and head tube length, significantly affecting the ride.

best gravel bike travel

Consider, for example, the comparison between the Basso Palta —a model celebrated for its aggressive and speedy attributes—and the Kona Rove, which is arguably more conducive to relaxed touring. For the sake of comparison, we’ll focus on medium-sized frames. The Kona Rove emerges as the more touring-friendly option, with the Basso Palta displaying characteristics more aligned with road cycling.

best gravel bike travel

Ideal touring geometry would feature a longer wheelbase for stability when loaded, extended chainstay length to prevent heel strike from rear panniers, a longer front center to avoid toe overlap with a loaded bike, and a lower bottom bracket height for a lower center of gravity.

Check out this link to the Bike Insights search I did comparing these two bikes and you will see the differences in geometries.

The geometry comparison illustrates that the Kona Rove offers a more upright riding position and a wider stance capable of managing heavier loads more effectively than the Basso Palta.

best gravel bike travel

Expanding on these real-world examples, let’s contrast the touring-suitable Kona Rove with the geometry of a traditional touring bike, such as the Surly Disc Trucker. The Surly’s geometry further enhances comfort and gear accommodation, featuring even longer chainstays and wheelbase, along with a significantly taller head tube for a more upright position.

best gravel bike travel

Also check out the link to this comparison on Bike Insights here .

When searching for a gravel bike that doubles as a touring bike, the objective is to identify a model whose geometry strikes a harmonious balance between the aggressive stance of race-oriented gravel bikes and the comfort-focused design of traditional touring bikes.

This blend of characteristics ensures a bike that’s not only enjoyable to ride on varied terrains but also practical and comfortable for long-distance adventures.

Gearing Considerations for Touring on a Gravel Bike

best gravel bike travel

Gearing is a pivotal consideration when selecting a gravel bike for touring. It’s essential to anticipate the terrain you’ll be navigating. If your journey involves climbing numerous hills with a loaded bike, possessing a broad spectrum of gears becomes indispensable.

This variety allows for comfortable ascents and efficient travel over flat terrains or downhills, though the importance of high-speed gearing diminishes in a touring setting.

It’s crucial to recognize that many gravel bikes currently available may not offer the appropriate gearing for steep climbs under heavy loads, presenting a significant limitation.

Therefore, verifying the bike’s gear range and suitability for your intended routes is a critical step before committing to a gravel bike for touring purposes.

Understanding Gear Range

best gravel bike travel

Traditional touring bikes often feature a triple chainring setup, offering a gear range from 18″ to 117″. This range implies that the lowest gear (or “granny gear”) provides 18 inches of travel per pedal revolution, ideal for climbing.

For gravel bikes intended for loaded touring, a lower gear inch value is preferable, with 20″ being an ideal sweet spot and anything above 25″ in the lowest gear generally considered less than optimal for peak performance.

Finding a gravel bike that offers a lowest gear of 18″ can be challenging, which is why only a select number of gravel bikes are truly ideal for touring purposes.

Many models feature a lowest gear around 25″, which may not suffice for touring needs, particularly on steep mountain trails while carrying bikepacking gear.

From personal experience, even with a bike labeled as suitable for “touring/gravel/adventure,” a lowest gear around 25″ can make steep ascents challenging.

Calculating Gear Range

To calculate a bike’s gear range, multiply the tooth count of the smallest front chainring by the largest rear cog. For instance, the Kona Rove LTD, equipped with a Shimano GRX 810, 31/48t crankset, and a Shimano 105 11-34t 11-speed cassette, represents a gearing setup more conducive to touring compared to other models.

best gravel bike travel

Using a Gear Inch Calculator —which accounts for tire size and width—helps visualize this range through a graph.

This method simplifies the process of determining whether the gear range of the bike you’re considering is well-suited for touring.

best gravel bike travel

I recommend visiting a website such as 99Spokes.com and looking up the bike you’re interested in. Scrolling down untill you find the specs section (build, groupset and wheels) Enter the required details of the bike into bikecalc.com to generate the gear inches results and proceed from there. Check if the granny gear is below 25 inches, or ideally, around 18 inches.

best gravel bike travel

For the Kona Rove LTD, the calculation would be 48×11 for the highest gear, yielding 116 gear inches, and 31×34 for the lowest gear, resulting in 24 gear inches.

Ideal Gear Ratios for Touring

When assessing gear ratios for adventure riding and touring on a drop bar gravel bike, a 1:1 ratio is highly effective. Such low gears enable the rider to tackle steep inclines with a loaded bike more comfortably, preserving leg strength for long-distance journeys. A desirable gear range spans from 420% to 500%.

For the Kona Rove LTD, the gear range is determined by dividing the largest gear inches by the smallest and then multiplying by 100.

In this example, 110.92/23.35×100=475.03%, indicating a gear range difference of 475.03% between the smallest and largest gears. This range highlights the bike’s capability to handle diverse terrains and loads, making it an excellent choice for touring.

Gearing is a fundamental aspect to consider when selecting a gravel bike for touring. The right gear range can significantly affect your ability to climb hills and cover long distances efficiently.

By understanding and calculating gear inches and ratios, you can choose a bike that matches your touring needs, ensuring a more enjoyable and feasible adventure riding experience.

Other Essential Features for Touring Gravel Bikes

When choosing a gravel bike for touring, geometry and gearing emerge as the primary considerations.

Additionally, a bike frame equipped with eyelets for mounting both rear and, potentially, front racks for panniers is essential, marking a significant distinction from bikepacking setups.

While not mandatory, the inclusion of fender mounts and cargo cage mounts also adds value.

The material of the bike frame plays a crucial role. Traditionally, touring bikes are crafted from steel due to its durability and capacity to support heavy loads, despite its weight.

Modern advancements have led to lighter steel frames , often complemented by carbon forks in higher-end steel gravel bikes. Alternatives like carbon, aluminum, or titanium are available, but for the quintessence of traditional touring, steel stands unparalleled in its suitability.

While wheels, handlebars, and other components might seem less critical, they still contribute to the bike’s overall performance and comfort. Handlebars with a flare are increasingly popular on gravel bikes, offering additional comfort for extended rides.

The choice between mechanical or hydraulic disc brakes is another consideration; many argue that mechanical brakes are preferable for touring due to their simpler roadside serviceability.

Comparing Touring Bikes and Gravel Bikes

After delving into the specifics of geometry and gearing for both touring and gravel bikes, it’s clear that distinctions extend beyond these elements. Here’s a breakdown of their differences:

Touring Bikes

best gravel bike travel

  • Gearing: Optimized for tackling the steepest hills while maintaining a respectable pace on flat terrains.
  • Material: Predominantly built from steel, offering durability and a more forgiving ride when heavily loaded or traversing global terrains.
  • Wheels: Typically feature around 36 spokes, enhancing wheel strength for the demands of touring.
  • Design Focus: Engineered as a utility vehicle prioritizing comfort over speed for extended journeys.
  • Features: Always equipped with eyelets for mounting racks and fenders. Models like the Surly LHT even include chainstay mounts for spare spokes.
  • Geometry: Designed with less aggressive angles to ensure greater comfort during long rides.
  • Tire Compatibility: Capable of accommodating wider tires than road bikes, though some gravel bikes may support even wider options.
  • Ride Quality: Touring bikes often perform best when loaded; riding them without cargo can significantly alter their handling.

Gravel Bikes

best gravel bike travel

  • Versatility: Gravel bikes are designed to be highly versatile, not limited to a single type of riding, making them almost an all-in-one bike option.
  • Adventure Potential: Offer a wider variety of adventure locations, including off-road capabilities.
  • Material Variety: Constructed from various materials, including steel, aluminum, carbon, and titanium, catering to different preferences and needs.
  • Tire Width: Generally support wider tires designed for gravel, which roll efficiently on both roads and off-road conditions.
  • Geometry: Can feature more aggressive geometry; it’s crucial to compare with traditional touring bikes to understand the differences.
  • Weight: Often lighter than traditional touring bikes, enhancing their appeal for riders looking for a less burdensome option.
  • Geometry Balance: The best gravel bikes strike a balance between the elongated geometry of touring bikes and the aggressive stance of road bikes.
  • All-Rounder: Ideal for cyclists seeking a bike that excels in a variety of settings, making it the perfect all-rounder.

These distinctions highlight the unique strengths and intended uses of each bike type, read the full comparison here .

Best Gravel Bikes For Touring

Now let’s take a look at some of the best gravel bikes for touring. In no particular order, these are some of my favorites. They offer a comfortable geometry, the ability to mount for racks and panniers, and are just all-around adventure machines!

These bikes are good for road and off-road touring. Which is what I assume you will mostly want to ride. Some of them are technically categorized as touring bikes or adventure touring bikes.

My belief is that they are also gravel bikes at heart as some have gravel-specific drivetrains and they have a place in this category.

Kona Rove LTD

best gravel bike travel

As highlighted, the Kona Rove excels as a gravel bike tailored for touring. It’s challenging to find alternatives that embody a seamless blend of touring and gravel biking characteristics, yet are fundamentally designed for touring. An example is the Rove’s older sibling, the Sutra, which I personally favor for my rides.

Despite the appeal of gravel bikes, they often fall short as complete substitutes for traditional touring bikes. However, there are commendable choices available in the market, similar to the Rove, which also doubles as an excellent commuter bike.

Marin Four Corners

best gravel bike travel

If you’re in the market for an affordably priced gravel/touring bike made from full chromoly steel, the Marin Four Corners Bike stands out as an exemplary choice. It’s designed with a focus on touring, featuring a longer wheelbase of 1081 mm and a 450 mm chainstay to enhance stability and comfort on long rides. The bike is equipped with a 3×9 Shimano Sora drivetrain, including a Shimano Sora Hollowtech II, 50/39/30T crankset and a Shimano HG300 9-Speed, 11-34T cassette, ensuring a broad gear range for various terrains. It rides on WTB Resolute, 650B/700C x 42 tires, offering great versatility and performance.

Ideal for riders passionate about touring, bikepacking, or embarking on adventures, this bike is built to accommodate a wide array of activities. With a gear range spanning from 23.14″ to 119.66″, it offers a 517% gearing range, making no hill too steep or journey too demanding.

The Marin Four Corners is designed to fit riders ranging from 4’11” to 6’4″ without compromise, ensuring a comfortable and optimized fit for a broad spectrum of body sizes. It features rack and fender mounts, allowing for easy transformation into a daily commuter or a loaded touring bike. The bike boasts clearance for up to 47mm 700C/650B tires with fenders or 2″ mountain tires without, further emphasizing its adaptability.

Engineered around a stable and predictable mountain steering geometry, it includes an extended headtube for an upright seating position, contributing to long-distance comfort. The bike’s extended wheelbase is another testament to its suitability for extended adventures.

For enhanced versatility and compatibility with frame bags, the Marin Four Corners offers additional braze-ons. Beyond the standard front and rear rack and fender mounts, it includes two bottle or accessory cage mounts on the fork, a bottle mount on the bottom of the downtube, and traditional front triangle mounts (three on sizes M-XL, two on XS-S), allowing for up to six bottle cage mounts in total.

Marin employs biometric fit data based on the statistical proportions of people’s bodies to develop the optimal fit and weight distribution for each size of the Four Corners, ensuring that riders experience the best possible balance and comfort on their adventures.

Niner RLT 9 Steel

best gravel bike travel

Crafted for the thrill of adventure and unparalleled flexibility, the Niner RLT 9 Steel emerges as a robust contender, featuring a high-quality Reynolds 853 Steel frame coupled with an RDO carbon fork to enhance off-road comfort.

This model introduces several significant enhancements, including an advanced carbon fork, elegantly internally routed cables, flat mount disc brakes, and additional three-pack mounts on the fork legs for extra gear.

At its core, the bike boasts a durable Reynolds 853 steel frame, perfectly complemented by Niner’s cutting-edge RDO carbon fork, ensuring generous tire clearance for both 700 x 50mm and 650b x 2.0″ tires.

A standout feature for adventurers is the bike’s extensive range of mounting options, offering up to 26 unique points for attaching racks, fenders, and bolt-on accessories, catering to every possible need on the trail.

Designed with the thrill-seekers in mind, this bike is also equipped for dropper post integration, enhancing the ride on challenging terrains.

Niner provides a variety of purchasing options for the RLT 9 Steel, ranging from a frame-only choice to a comprehensive selection of complete setups. Pricing for these configurations starts just under $3,000 and goes up to around $6,000 USD, accommodating a wide range of budgets and preferences.

More Gravel Bikes That Could Be Good Touring Bikes!

Venturing beyond the usual suspects, there exists a diverse cast of gravel bikes that double admirably as touring champions. Worth your consideration, the models listed below shine in their roles thanks to standout features such as generous tire clearance or sturdy steel frames. However, the spotlight doesn’t stop there; ensuring these bikes meet every criterion for the ultimate touring gravel bike is crucial to your script for adventure!

Best Steel Gravel Bikes – Everything You Need To Know!
Best Gravel Bikes With Large Tire Clearance
11 Best Womens Gravel Bikes For All-Road Adventures

Best Flat Bar Gravel Bikes for 2024!

About the author.

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Codey Orgill, a seasoned bicycle adventurer, has been exploring the world on two wheels for over 10 years. Since embarking on his initial cycling journey, Codey Orgill has traversed numerous countries, experiencing a series of epic adventures.

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Best Gravel Bikes

From lightweight carbon models to do-it-all aluminum and steel rigs, we break down this year’s top gravel bikes.

Gravel bike (riding with mountain views)

Switchback Travel ( Jason Hummel )

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Gravel bikes—also known as adventure or all-road bikes—are built to handle terrain ranging from forest service roads to pavement, dirt, and even mellow singletrack. In essence, they are more capable than road bikes yet more efficient than mountain bikes, transitioning nicely from daily commutes to weekend adventures. While the definition of these dirt-focused models still is up for debate, they share a few key design features including a more upright seating position for added comfort over long distances, high-volume tires to help smooth out rough roads, and multiple mounting points for extra water and gear. From leading budget options to range-topping carbon rigs, below are the top gravel grinders of 2021. For more background information, see our gravel bike comparison table and buying advice below the picks.

Best Overall Gravel Bike

1. cannondale topstone 1 ($2,150).

Cannondale Topstone 1 gravel bike

We’ll start by saying that we didn’t anticipate our top gravel bike pick being an aluminum-frame rig, but the Cannondale Topstone 1’s versatility, smart build, and competitive price tag won us over. In terms of design, the Topstone features the kind of premium aluminum frame that the brand is known for, a gravel-specific Shimano GRX drivetrain complete with hydraulic disc brakes, and appropriately wide wheels for soaking up bumps. Its balanced geometry also hits a nice sweet spot of responsiveness for climbs and road riding with a relaxed and confidence-inspiring feel on the descents. The cherry on top: the mid-range “1” manages to undercut much of the competition in price at a reasonable $2,150. From weekend gravel rides to daily commutes, the Cannondale Topstone is an excellent option.

The aluminum frame doesn't come without compromises, however. At about 22.5 pounds, the Topstone certainly isn't the lightest gravel bike on the market and likely won't be the first choice of speed-focused riders (if this sounds like you, the extra $450 for the carbon Giant Revolt Advanced 2 below might be worth it). And we’d like to see higher-quality rubber that’s tubeless-ready (they recently switched the tires to Vittoria from WTB’s Riddler, which leads us to believe it was a supply issue). However, these are relatively small nitpicks about an otherwise impressive all-around gravel bike. It’s worth noting that Cannondale also offers the Topstone Carbon with a lighter frame and their minimalist Kingpin rear suspension that helps cushion harsh impacts. See the Cannondale Topstone 1

A Close Second (With a Carbon Frame)

2. giant revolt advanced 2 ($2,600).

Giant Revolt Advanced 2 gravel bike

Giant has built a reputation around producing high-quality bikes at affordable prices, and their Revolt Advanced 2 is a shining example. For $2,600, you get a light and compliant carbon frame, a smooth-shifting Shimano GRX 22-speed drivetrain, hydraulic disc brakes, and ample clearance for tires up to 45 millimeters wide for damping rough roads. Other thoughtful features include a rubber downtube protector to ward off high-speed rock impacts and a chainstay guard to help keep the chain quiet on bumpy rides. Added up, you’d be hard-pressed to find a similarly equipped and well-made carbon design at this price point.

Why do we have the Giant Revolt Advanced 2 ranked below the Cannondale? Both are top-notch gravel bikes, but the simple answer is that we don't think the $450 bump in cost is worth it for most riders. The bikes share the same Shimano GRX 800/600 drivetrain and GRX 400 brakes, and we’ve found Cannondale’s aluminum builds are impressively comfortable (a common knock on aluminum is it’s too harsh). But if you’re more interested in gravel races than mellow rides, the lighter carbon-framed Revolt Advanced 2 is a solid buy. And for a hardcore racing bike, see the Trek Checkpoint SL 6 below.  See the Giant Revolt Advanced 2   See the Women's Liv Devote Advanced 2

Best Budget Gravel Bike

3. kona rove al 650 ($949).

Kona Rove AL 650 gravel bike

Just because you can spend thousands of dollars on a race-ready carbon gravel bike doesn’t necessarily mean you should. For budget-oriented riders interested in exploring backroads or taking the scenic route to work, Kona’s Rove AL 650 is plenty of bike. For $949, the Rove includes a quality aluminum frame, ample mounting locations for accessories, water, and gear, and a dependable Shimano Claris drivetrain. Further, its wide 47-millimeter tires do an admirable job soaking up the kind of bumps, ruts, and rocks that you often find on forest service roads.

As with any budget offering, the Rove AL 650 has its fair share of compromises. Compared to the Cannondale above, the Claris is a significant downgrade in both components and features. Most notably, it forgoes thru-axles (which add stiffness and inspire confidence during fast descents) in favor of the quick-release style. Moreover, you miss out on a vibration-dampening carbon fork (the Kona’s is stiffer alloy), and it sports less-powerful mechanical disc brakes rather than hydraulic. For about $300 more, we recommend checking out Cannondale’s Topstone Sora, which addresses many of these issues. But for those hoping to stay under $1,000, Kona’s entry-level Rove is undeniably a good value. See the Kona Rove AL 650

Best Gravel Race Bike

4. trek checkpoint sl 6 ($4,000).

Trek Checkpoint SL 6 gravel bike

While small, niche bike companies have dominated the gravel race scene for years, this growing category has recently started to attract the big players. With decades of racing experience under their belt, Trek throws their hat into the ring with the Checkpoint SL 6. The biggest news with the Checkpoint is its IsoSpeed, which functions similarly to the rear suspension on a mountain bike. By decoupling the top and seat tubes, this technology effectively reduces vibrations and creates a less jarring, smoother ride. If you’ve ever spent time on washboard roads at speed, you’ll understand why this is so important.

This unique tech and impressive performance do come at a cost. For reference, the top-end variation of the Giant Revolt Advanced above (the “0”) is priced at $100 less than the Trek but includes substantially upgraded components like carbon wheels (the SL 6’s are aluminum). In addition, the IsoSpeed decoupler does add a little complexity to the design and will require occasional maintenance. In the end, if your cycling goals include winning the Dirty Kanza 200, it’s likely worth spending up for the Trek, and its more forgiving ride undeniably is a plus over long and hard miles. But for racers on a tighter budget, there are plenty of options that cost less. See the Trek Checkpoint SL 6

Best Electric Gravel Bike

5. cannondale synapse neo se ($4,500).

Cannondale Synapse Neo SE gravel bike

Germany-based Canyon might not have the name recognition of many of the brands on this list, but their Grail AL 6 adventure bike is an excellent all-around value. In short, it ticks most of the important boxes in this category, including a high-quality aluminum frame, lightweight carbon fork, and gravel-specific Shimano GRX 400 groupset (note: the GRX 400 series is 10-speed, while the 600 and 800 are 11-speed). The Grail’s proven and tubeless-ready DT Swiss wheels also are wrapped in one of our favorite gravel tires at the moment: Schwalbe’s 40-millimeter G-One Bite, which transition nicely from tarmac to trail. Finally, if appearance is a consideration for you, we think the silver and black version is one of the classiest-looking gravel bike designs on the market.

Compared to the Cannondale Topstone 1 above, the Grail AL 6 costs around $450 less (technically the AL 7 is a more direct competitor at $1,999) but comes up slightly short in a couple key areas. First and foremost, buying from a consumer-direct company like Canyon sometimes can be a pain: availability is often limited and customer service can be hit or miss, plus you don’t get the convenience of walking into your local bike shop to ride the bike or get replacement parts before buying. Further, Cannondale’s lifetime frame warranty is more impressive than Canyon’s six years. But the Grail AL 6 is a solid value nevertheless, which is one of the biggest perks of buying consumer-direct. See the Canyon Grail AL 6

7. Specialized Diverge Comp Carbon ($4,200)

Specialized Diverge Comp Carbon gravel bike

California-based Specialized is one of the biggest names in cycling, so it should come as no surprise that they offer a winner in the gravel-focused Diverge line. Similar to Trek’s Checkpoint SL 6 above, the most noteworthy component on the Diverge is its suspension that delivers a relatively high 20 millimeters of travel. But unlike the Trek, the Specialized bike focuses its shock absorption at the front rather than the rear. For anything from surprise impacts with rocks to rough washboard roads, this feature will considerably dampen your ride and reduce arm fatigue.

How does the rest of the build compare with the aforementioned Trek? The Diverge gets the edge in max tire clearance (47mm vs. 45mm on the Checkpoint) and includes in-frame storage with their unique and very functional SWAT system. That said, you get a little more cushion with the Trek and a very similar component group (including the same GRX 810 drivetrain) while saving $200. It’s a close call, but we give the slight edge to the Trek as a do-everything model that can still toe the race line. Of note, Specialized’s Diverge lineup is expansive, starting at $1,300 and going all the way up to $10,500, so most riders should be able to find exactly what they’re looking for. See the Specialized Diverge Comp Carbon

8. Salsa Warbird ($2,799)

Salsa Warbird Carbon Apex 1 gravel bike

We’d be remiss not to include Salsa’s venerable and highly sought-after Warbird on this list. Originally launched in 2013, the Warbird saw a host of changes at its last update: the geometry was tweaked slightly for improved stability at speed, a number of mounting locations were added to the frame, and the bike is now compatible with 650b wheels and tires up to 2 inches wide. We especially like the Waxwing fork, which features three-pack mounts that add versatility for storing water bottles or shuttling overnight gear. All told, Salsa’s fourth-generation Warbird is an enviable gravel race bike that happily pulls double duty as a lightweight bikepacking rig for weekend trips.

Our biggest complaint about the Warbird Apex is cost. At $2,799, we think there are better deals to be had in the gravel bike category. For example, the Giant Revolt Advanced 2 above comes in around the same price and features a more versatile drivetrain with a wider gear range (better for mountainous terrain). And although the Warbird’s high-performing TRP Spyre mechanical disc brakes are one of the better options of their kind on the market, they simply can’t match the ease of use or stopping power of the hydraulic version on the Giant. That said, the Warbird’s additional storage spots on the frame and fork make it better-suited for all-day epics and backcountry adventures. If versatility is a key consideration, we think it’s a nice choice. See the Salsa Warbird

9.  Santa Cruz Stigmata GRX ($4,649)

Santa Cruz Stigmata GTX gravel bike

Santa Cruz is lauded within the mountain biking community for their quality frames and remarkable attention to detail, and that reputation holds true with the gravel-oriented Stigmata. For last year, the Stigmata was redesigned with additional clearance for tires up to 45 millimeters wide (as well as 650b tires), updated geometry with a slightly longer head tube that translates to a more upright and comfortable riding position, and internal routing for dropper seat post compatibility. What does all this mean for you? In short, the versatile Stigmata is now just as at home on the cyclocross course as it is on far-off backroad adventures.

Where does the Stigmata fall short? Like all Santa Cruz bikes, the gravel rig is undeniably pricey at $4,649 for the GRX model, which includes the high-end 800 groupset. For $400-$600 less, the Trek and Specialized models above feature similar components but include a notable upgrade in ride quality over bumpy terrain with their proprietary suspension designs. That said, buying from Santa Cruz involves paying a premium for the brand’s attention to detail (all models are admittedly fantastic-looking), strong warranty, and reliable long-term performance. Whether that’s worth the added expense is up to you. See the Santa Cruz Stigmata GRX   See the Women's Juliana Quincy GRX

10. Evil Bikes Chamois Hagar ($4,799)

Evil Bikes Chamois Hagar gravel bike

Evil is known for their progressive designs in the mountain bike world, and they’ve translated that to their playfully named Chamois Hagar gravel bike. The big news is its geometry, which has a downhill-oriented 66.67-degree head angle for an aggressive stance that’s impressively stable and confidence-inspiring on the descent (for reference, most gravel bikes are around 70 degrees or higher). There are only two build kits currently offered (plus a frame-only option), but the GRX model is well-appointed with high-end 800-series components, an all-carbon frame, and off-road extras like a dropper post and meaty tires. At $4,799, the Evil is not a price leader, but its fun factor is hard to beat.

What do you give up with the Chamois Hagar’s unique build? Uphill-focused riders that want a twitchy and extremely responsive ride won’t like the laidback stance or beefed-up construction, which adds weight. And the standard 50-milllimeter-wide tires are not the fastest-rolling or lightest around. If you plan to mix in a fair amount of extended and steep climbing and prioritize efficiency, it’s best to stick with a traditional, road-inspired design. But for mountain bikers looking for a familiar, fun feel while bombing down their local forest service road or even popping off small features, Evil’s gravel grinder has a lot of appeal. See the Evil Bikes Chamois Hagar

11. Norco Search XR A2 ($1,699)

Norco Search XR A2 gravel bike

Better known for their extensive lineup of mountain bikes, Norco did a nice job with the dirt-focused Search XR A2. For a reasonable $1,699, you get a 2 x 10 Shimano drivetrain that works well across most terrain along with a healthy selection of mounting locations for racks, bottles, and gear. Further, you get thru-axles for a stiffer ride in the rough stuff and tubeless-ready wheels (in our opinion, it’s is a no-brainer to set up your gravel bike this way for less weight, fewer flats, and more grip). While it can’t match the racing pedigree of the Trek Checkpoint SL or versatility of the Salsa Warbird above, the Search XR is an impressively capable companion for everything from backroad exploring to daily commutes.

At this price point, however, there are some entry-level components in the build. It’s nice to see Shimano GRX derailleurs and crank, but the shifters are from the road-focused Tiagra line, so they’re not as user-friendly on gravel. In addition, you get less-powerful mechanical brakes and the tires aren’t the best in slippery and dicey conditions, so many backcountry explorers will want to upgrade those right off the bat. For those looking for a little more capability at a still-reasonable price, check out Norco’s XR A Suspension model ($2,399), which features a front fork with 50 millimeters of travel and a dropper seat post. See the Norco Search XR A2

12. Cervelo Aspero GRX 810 2x ($4,500)

Cervelo Aspero GRX 810 2x gravel bike

Cervelo has made their name in light, fast, and aerodynamic pavement racers, and they’ve taken that expertise into the gravel world with their Aspero collection. As expected from the brand, the Aspero models put a premium on climbing speed and responsiveness with a high-quality and very lightweight carbon frame, upright geometry that gives it a quick-handling and nimble feel, and a nice spec sheet with efficiency-minded components. Tack on off-road-ready features like protection along the chain stays and downtube and dropper post compatibility (note: a dropper is not included), and you get a nice option for road riders looking to add a gravel grinder to their quiver.

As expected, the Aspero’s road-inspired geometry and build make it far less stable and more prone to getting knocked around on steep and rowdy descents. Put another way, it’s the polar opposite of the Evil Chamois Hagar above, which crushes the downhills at the expense of power and efficiency when pedaling. It’s also worth noting the max tire width for the Aspero is 42 millimeters, which is a few millimeters less than most designs on this list. It’s not for everyone, but for riders that stick to relatively tame terrain and want a race-ready screamer, the Aspero is a great choice. Finally, Cervelo recently released the Apero 5 series , which is a lighter, faster, and even pricier version of the standard model here. See the Cervelo Aspero GRX 810 2x

13. Niner RLT 9 2-Star ($2,200)

Niner RLT 9 2 Star gravel bike

Niner may not be a familiar name to many road cyclists, but this Colorado-based company has been pushing out quality dirt-focused models for about 15 years. From their lineup, the RLT 9 2-Star is a solid budget-minded build: it features SRAM’s Apex 1 x 11 drivetrain and hydraulic disc brakes, can fit up to 700c x 50mm tires, and includes mounting locations for racks and fenders (the carbon fork even has additional spots for storing extra water on those all-day rides). Not to mention, we can’t help but love the old-school look of the RLT’s aluminum frame.

Compared to the top-ranked Cannondale Topstone 1 above, the Niner RLT 2-Star costs around the same (it's $50 pricier) yet sees a slight downgrade in the drivetrain department with its 1x drivetrain (the Cannondale features 2x Shimano GRX components). Not only does this include a wider gear range, but the Shimano parts are a little better tuned for off-road riding with easier-to-manipulate shift levers. Within the Niner lineup, you can get GRX components, but they’re only available in top-end 800-spec models that start at about $3,000. See the Niner RLT 9 2-Star

14.  Donnelly G//C Force ($4,000)

Donnelly G//C Force gravel bike

For riders just dipping their toes into the gravel world, Co-op Cycles’ ADV gravel bikes have a lot of appeal. For one, it’s a fairly simple buying process: Co-op Cycles is REI’s in-house bike brand, which brings nationwide access to shops, easy assembly and maintenance, and a reliable warranty. And their ADV collection includes solid performers like the mid-range 2.2, which comes in at a very competitive $1,599. For this price, you get the entry-level Shimano GRX component group, which is well-made but comes with slight compromises like a 10-speed cassette (compared with 11 for the upgraded versions). You also miss out on some nice upgrades like hydraulic disc brakes, although the Tektro mechanicals are decent performers and don’t require much in terms of maintenance.

As expected, the ADV 2.2 shouldn’t be on the short list for those looking for a speedy machine, but the design in general is well-balanced. The WTB Nano tires are proven performers, the wheels are tubeless-ready, and the bike has a sturdy feel to it in general. That said, it’s not an agile design and weight is decently high (REI gives it a median weight of over 23 pounds). As such, those looking for a longer-term investment may want to spend up to the Cannondale Topstone above—which is also sold through REI Co-op—but casual riders looking to add some gravel time to their weekends will likely be very happy with the ADV 2.2. See the Co-op Cycles ADV 2.2

16.  Surly Straggler ($1,625)

Surly Straggler gravel bike

Diamondback is best known for their budget-friendly bikes sold at big-box stores, but being value-driven isn't necessarily a bad thing. In the gravel realm, we especially like their Haanjo 2, which is the most affordable design to make our list at $925. This entry-level ride features a 2 x 8 Shimano drivetrain, decently fast-rolling 38-millimeter tires, and mechanical disc brakes that are easy to operate and provide consistent stopping power. To be sure, the Haanjo 2 can’t match the performance or low weight of pricier models on the list, but it’s a serviceable companion for those who do a little bit of everything—including commuting, cruising mellow doubletrack, and exploring forest service roads.

With a similar price and component group (Shimano’s budget-focused Claris) as the Kona Rove above, the two bikes are natural competitors. In parsing out the differences, the 650b Kona has wider tires and does a nicer job cushioning impacts on washboard roads, while the narrower and faster-rolling Diamondback is the superior option for commuting and mixing in longer stretches on pavement. Both offer a nice entry point into the world of gravel riding, but the more capable Kona gets the edge for us. See the Diamondback Haanjo 2

18. Moots Routt YBB Force AXS ($9,853)

Moots Routt YBB gravel bike

Moots’ Routt lineup has been around for years, but it’s the latest YBB version that really caught our eye. The “softail” design—first used on the company’s mountain bikes in the 90s—delivers 20 millimeters of rear micro-suspension that effectively reduces the harshness of rough roads. Combined with a smooth-riding titanium frame and beefy tires (up to 50mm wide), and this is a true backroads rig that’s ready to handle just about anything you throw at it. The elite-level build listed here also features the crisp shifting of SRAM’s electronic Force AXS drivetrain. Taken together, if price were no issue and we could only ride one gravel bike for the rest of our lives, it almost certainly would be the Routt YBB.

Now it’s time to address the elephant in the room. At well over $9,000, the Routt YBB is reserved for committed cyclists who ride often and ride hard (and have deep pockets). On the flip side, titanium undoubtedly is pricey, but Moots uses a high-quality, U.S.-made version that’s welded in-house at the company’s headquarters. In other words, it’s hard to put a price on such excellent craftsmanship. For those on a tighter budget who don’t want to make big sacrifices in ride quality, Trek’s Checkpoint SL 6 above is well under half the price and features similar bump-absorbing tech with its rear IsoSpeed. See the Moots Routt YBB Force AXS

19. Co-op Cycles ADV 1.1 ($1,599)

Co-op Cycles ADV 1.1 gravel bike

Co-op Cycles isn’t known for pushing the envelope in terms of frame design or technology, but what they offer is a major focus on value. The steel-framed ADV 1.1 is a prime example: for $1,599 (and often marked down further during sales), the ADV is a solid all-rounder that can confidently tackle adventures ranging from gravel road exploration to extended bikepacking and bike touring outings. And with a comfortable upright seating position, wide gear range, and included front and rear racks, it makes for a solid commuting companion too.

Why isn't the Co-op Cycles ADV 1.1 ranked higher? The steel frame and reasonably fast-rolling 700c x 38mm tires make for a comfortable ride on pavement and light gravel, but they also add a lot of weight. At about 30 pounds, the ADV is easily the heaviest bike on our list (not including Cannondale’s Synapse e-bike, which really is a different category). If the goal is covering ground quickly and efficiently, we recommend checking out a more focused design like Co-op Cycles’ ADV 2.2 above, which cuts significant weight, has more off-road-oriented tires, and features more performance-oriented geometry for the same price. All that said, the ADV 1.1 has its place for everything from cross-country trips to easygoing and leisurely outings. See the Co-op Cycles ADV 1.1

Gravel Bikes Comparison Table

Gravel bike buying advice, what is a gravel bike, frame material: carbon vs. aluminum, drivetrain and gears, wheel size: 700c vs. 650b, brakes: hydraulic disc vs. mechanical disc, proper tire air pressure (psi), going tubeless, shoes and pedals for gravel bikes, gravel, road, and cyclocross bikes: what are the differences, what about hardtail mountain bikes on gravel.

  • Buying a Gravel Bike: In-Store or Online?  

As their name suggests, gravel bikes are designed to be ridden on surfaces like gravel trails, doubletrack, and forest service roads. While people have been taking their road bikes onto unpaved roads for decades, this emerging category has a number of thoughtful design features that make the experience much more enjoyable. In general, you should look for frame clearance to accommodate up to 700c x 45mm tires, multiple mounting locations (three or more) for water bottles and food, longer wheelbases that are more stable at high speeds, and disc brakes to handle long descents over varying road conditions. Put simply, gravel bikes can continue on when traditional roads bikes are forced to turn around, and they can easily handle the daily commute to work too.

Gravel bike (storage and tires)

It almost goes without saying that a lighter bike will feel sprightlier and more responsive than a heavier rig on the road or path. Not only does it make the uphills more bearable, but it also allows you to cover ground more quickly with less effort. And performance benefits aside, we always welcome lifting less weight onto our rack. However, weight often correlates directly with cost: the more you spend on a bike, the less it will weigh. For example, the $1,599 Co-op Cycles ADV 2.2 tips the scales at around 23.5 pounds, while Santa Cruz’s carbon Stigmata Force 2X ($5,849) weighs just over 18 pounds. We think the sweet spot is in the 20- to 23-pound range for most riders, which will usually set you back roughly $2,000. Race-focused cyclists likely will be willing to spend up for less weight.

One of the best and least expensive upgrades you can make to your bike is upgrading to tubeless tires . The biggest benefit is the ability to run lower tire pressures, meaning the tires are better able to absorb impacts without increasing the risk of a pinch flat. This also translates to a larger contact patch with the ground, making them ideal for off-road use. Plus, eliminating tubes in favor of sealant can drop a little rotational weight from your kit.

All that said, it can be a challenge converting your bike to tubeless. While installation has become significantly easier over the last few years due to improvements in the technology, you still get the occasional tire-and-rim combination that just doesn’t want to inflate. You’ll also have to replace the sealant a couple of times per year—it has a tendency to dry and become ineffective at sealing small holes. And finally, tubeless setups can be a bit of a mess should you ever need to put a tube in your tire. If you don’t feel comfortable with the initial installation, we recommend asking your local bike shop for help.

Gravel bike (tire pressure)

Those who already own a hardtail might be wondering: “Can’t I just ride my mountain bike on gravel roads instead of purchasing something new?” And the answer is a resounding “yes.” In fact, we actually encourage riders to use what they already have whenever possible. After all, people have been riding all sorts of bikes on dirt roads for decades—long before the advent of this niche category. 

All that said, there are many benefits to purchasing a true gravel-focused bike. For example, models like Trek’s Checkpoint SL 6 are significantly lighter than mountain bikes, the drop bars offer multiple hand positions for all-day comfort, and you get more mounting locations for food, water, and gear. Gravel bikes also feature a wider gear range for the varied terrain you can expect on forest service and backroads. While a hardtail with skinny tires certainly will do the trick (we did this for quite some time), for those who plan on spending a lot of time on pavement and gravel, it’s hard to ignore the performance differences. There's good reason why this is one of the fastest-growing bike categories.

Gravel bike (big view)

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The Best Gravel Bikes of 2023

9 testers tried 18 bikes. These ones came out on top.

cyclist with gravel bike in italy in the countryside

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As a relatively new creature in the cycling world , gravel bikes are still evolving. Each year brings new innovations to the gravel-cycling scene. The latest generation of gravel bikes are lighter, more capable and—perhaps most important for the average cyclist—more comfortable than ever before. These are the six bikes that won us over with their rough-road performance.

The Winners at a Glance

BMC Kaius 01 One

3T Exploro Ultra

YT Szepter Core 4

Specialized Diverge STR Expert

Salsa Journeyer

Lauf Seigla

How We Test

Bikes Tested: 18

Miles Covered: 1,1789

Bike reviews are some of the most complicated tests Outside performs. Choosing bike builds, having them shipped, building them up, and then riding them on the appropriate terrain takes many, many hours and lots of dedication. Luckily we work with some of the best in the business.

The majority of our reviews were performed at our Field Test in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, where we tested ten bikes with four riders over a week. We also do long-term reviews out of Boulder and Fort Collins, Colorado. Bikes are judged on their overall performance, ride quality, weight, speed, cost-to-value and many other factors.

Meet Our Lead Tester

Josh Patterson has been riding and wrenching on bikes for 20 years and, with a master’s degree in journalism, has been writing about the sport for over half of that time. He’s a cycling generalist who finds joy in riding road, gravel, and mountain bikes, which made him the ideal candidate to manage Outside ’s Gear Guide bike coverage for the past four years. He grew up in the Flint Hills of Kansas and was an early adopter of gravel racing and participated in the first Unbound 200. He’s now based in Fort Collins, Colorado.

The Reviews: The Best Gravel Bikes of 2023

Best all-day racer: bmc kaius 01 one ($11,999 as tested).

BMC Kaius 01 One

Because the gravel category includes a broad range of riding experiences, BMC has an expansive quiver of bikes to cover adventure riding as well as racing. The new Kaius is unapologetically focused on the latter. The light and stiff carbon frame has an aero-inspired silhouette and a fully-integrated one-piece carbon handlebar and stem combo to match (though it’s also available as a two-part stem/bar). As a result, long-time roadies will feel right at home. This high-end gravel bike is fast from the first pedal stroke, thanks to ultra-efficient power transfer and noticeably low weight. The maximum tire width of 44 millimeters is narrower than some of its competitors, though it’s spot-on for racing, where most riders select tires between 38 and 42 millimeters wide, depending on the course. That tire clearance and the limited cargo-carrying options for bikepacking and adventure cycling make it clear that the Kaius is aimed explicitly at the all-day slugfests on unpaved roads. 16.5 lbs

Full Review

Best for Speeding off the Beaten Path: 3T Exploro Ultra ($5,699 as tested)

3T Exploro Ultra

Is it possible to combine off-road capability with aerodynamic efficiency? That’s what the 3T Exploro Ultra promises. It boasts immense tire clearance and dropper-seatpost compatibility, combined with the unlikely duo of a carbon frame shaped for aero efficiency and road-bike handling. We tested this whip with 27.5-by-2.1-inch Schwalbe Racing Ralph tires and were impressed with how much traction they gave us when speeding through flat corners strewn with loose gravel. And despite the Exploro Ultra’s monster-truck looks, it’s quite nimble. Our testers were split on whether its handling was too much like a traditional road bike or just right for gravel racers looking for a high-speed accomplice. But everyone agreed that it’s a fun, fast, and very capable gravel rig. If you like to keep the pedal to the metal while traveling way off the beaten path, this bike ticks a lot of boxes. 19.4 lbs

Best Mountain Biker’s Gravel Ride: YT Szepter Core 4 ($4,499 as tested)

YT Szepter Core 4

(Photo: Courtesy YT)

YT isn’t well known in drop-bar circles, but this direct-to-consumer brand is an established player in the mountain bike scene, with a full line of value-packed trail, enduro, and downhill bikes. Given that background, it should come as no surprise that its gravel bike sits at the more aggressive end of the spectrum. The Szepter has a slack, 69.4-degree head angle paired with a RockShox Rudy XPLR fork with 40 millimeters of bump-eating suspension, and a RockShox Reverb XPLR dropper seatpost rounds out the off-road-ready package. Because it’s fully loaded, the Szepter isn’t the lightest or quickest-handling gravel bike on the market. And while it feels overbuilt on hardpacked gravel roads, it shines on singletrack and rough gravel roads. The Szepter is a mountain biker’s gravel bike and exemplary for time-strapped riders who want to link up their favorite gravel roads and singletrack segments and come home grinning. As one tester said, “It turns out YT brought the boombox to the gravel party.” from ear to ear. 21.8 lbs

Best Full-Suspension Gravel Bike: Specialized Diverge STR Expert ($6,700 as tested)

Specialized Diverge STR Expert

The Diverge is one of the winningest gravel bikes of all time thanks to its stable handling and the Future Shock, a unique front suspension placed above the headtube that provides heaps of confidence when speeding across rutted gravel roads. New for 2023, Specialized took gravel suspension one step further by adding 30 millimeters of rear suspension tucked into the bike’s top tube to further smooth the ride over rough terrain. As a result, the Diverge STR is incredibly smooth. Although the rearward component of its motion is a little unnerving at first, it doesn’t take long to forget it’s there. The system is so wonderfully free of stiction that even the slightest road or trail imperfection is totally erased. The result? Less muscle fatigue and more power to the pedals. Our testers agreed that this is the best attempt at a full-suspension gravel bike to date. This technology doesn’t come cheap, but we think the Diverge STR Expert with SRAM’s outstanding 1-by-12-speed Rival group is the best bang for the buck. 21 lbs

Best Value: Salsa Journeyer ($1,850 as tested)

Salsa Journeyer

The Journeyer is not only Salsa’s most affordable gravel bike but it’s also one of its most versatile—this rig doesn’t want to be pigeon-holed into any sub-segment of gravel. It’s well suited for commuting, mixed-surface racing, or dirt touring. After extensive test riding at our Steamboat Springs field test, reviewers dubbed this “The Happy Bike” for the smiles it left on their faces.

It all starts with the new 6061-series aluminum frame, which keeps the price down, but also offers a smooth ride quality on rough surfaces while still being sprightly when you mash the pedals. It features an approachable geometry (69.5 degree head tube angle with 78 millimeter trail), with relatively short reach figures and tall stack heights, which will save you from having to stretch too far for the handlebar. Salsa combines this with a fairly long wheelbase for easy riding stability.

The bike is sensibly specced for this price, but we’d still like to see hydraulic brakes available at for less (it’s a $600 upgrade currently). And the sizing of the Journeyer is a little funky, so if you’re considering buying one, be sure to consult with Salsa’s sizing recommendations or get on a bike in a shop to get the correct fit.

Of all the bikes at our Field Test, the Salsa Journeyer was the most unanimously loved. We all agreed the bike was easy to ride and confidence-inspiring. If you’re in the market for an affordable do-it-all-style drop bar bike (Salsa also offers it in flat-bar configurations) you should take a look at the Journeyer.

Most Unique: Lauf Seigla ($3,990 as tested)

Lauf Seigla

The Lauf Seigla is unmistakable, both for its ride quality and for its unique fork. The Grit Leaf spring suspension, which utilizes fiberglass springs to give the bike 30 millimeters of maintenance-free travel, is a conversation starter that people will ask you about every time you ride it—and we’d wager you’ll have a lot to say. The entire bike is designed for racing across challenging mixed surfaces as fast as possible and does that by combining absolutely enormous tire clearance (up to 57 millimeters) with sporty geometry. And while it may be built for speed, it’s also plenty of fun.

“For the gravel rider I am now (occasional race, all-day adventure, multi-terrain linkups), this is probably the bike I would choose,” said Betsy Welch , senior editor at Velo. “It’s capable of all of the above, and the ride quality is superb.”

Given the fast and fun ride, plus the sheer amount of bike on offer here for the cost (you can thank the direct-to-consumer model), several testers agreed that they would buy one themselves if they were in the market for a competitive go-fast gravel bike. Just be ready to talk about it. 20 pounds

Gravel bike shopping is daunting these days. There are gravel bikes that are close to road bikes and gravel bikes that are basically mountain bikes, and manufacturers are stretching the distinction more all the time. So how do you pick what’s right for you? Follow these four steps.

Ask the question: What terrain will you ride most? Will you be riding on an even mix between road and dirt? How much will you be climbing? Are you a mountain biker that wants to get into remote roads? Be honest with your answers to these questions—you don’t want to get a bike that you dreamed up but isn’t realistic for where you live and how you will actually ride.

Look at bike geometry in relation to your riding style. Trail, the combination of fork offest and head angle is the most important number in this equation. Road bikes generally have trail in the 55 to 61 millimeter range. Mountain bikes are usually in the 80- to 100 millimeter range these days. Now think about how the bike you’re looking at might react underneath you as you ride the terrain you prefer.

Pick your components. Do you want a 1x or 2x drivetrain? Probably the former if you’re a mountain biker at heart, and probably the latter if you’re a roadie looking for off-pavement speed. Tire clearance is another big one. A racer is probably fine with a max 40 millimeter tire while more exploratory riders will want at least 45 millimeters, if not 50.

Go ride them! The large spectrum between gravel bikes means you can notice big differences between them easily and quickly. We highly recommend demoing as many gravel bikes as you can to see what you gravitate towards.

  • 2023 Summer Gear Guide
  • Gravel Bikes

This post contains affiliate links, primarily provided by our priority partner REI.com . We may earn a commission if you buy through these links. Read more about our policy.

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The 6 Best Gravel Bikes for Touring, Commuting, and Casual Trail Rides

Glide over rocks and roots with one of these powerful and speedy bicycles made to handle gravel.

gravel bike

Finding the right gravel bike means grabbing a versatile beast that’s good for various kinds of riding. If you’re looking for a gravel bike for commuting, touring, road riding, and bikepacking, these are the best on the market.

Need more wheels? Check out our picks for the best bikes , electric scooters for adults , and e-bikes .

The Best Gravel Bikes

Topstone Carbon 4 Gravel Bike

Best Overall

Cannondale topstone carbon 4 gravel bike.

Preamble Gravel Bike

Most Affordable

Surly preamble gravel bike.

Diverge E5 Gravel Bike

Best for Beginners

Specialized diverge e5 gravel bike.

Checkpoint SL 5 Gravel Bike

Best for Touring

Trek checkpoint sl 5 gravel bike.

Roadster v2 Gravel Bike

Best E-Bike

Ride1up roadster v2 gravel bike.

ADV 2.2 Gravel Bike

REI Co-op Cycles ADV 2.2 Gravel Bike

What to consider.

Road bikes have skinny tires built for pavement, while mountain bikes have wider ones for rough terrain. Gravel bikes sit somewhere between the two, meaning they can handle the best of both worlds.

Tire size is told in two measurements: The first number indicates wheel diameter and the second, tire thickness. The diameter of most gravel bike wheels is 700c (the “c” means nothing here; it’s from an old French naming system) or 27.5 inches, though that varies a bit based on the tire’s tread pattern and type. Widths for gravel bike tires generally fall between 30 and 50 millimeters. (So, a gravel bike product listing may state that the bike has 700cx41mm tires, which means the tires are 27.5 inches in diameter and 41 mm in thickness.)

The wider the tire, the more stable and supportive your ride will be. Opt for wider tires if you’re taking a gravel bike on the trails or hauling cargo while bikepacking. If your gravel bike will double as a commuter, reach for one with thinner tires that can handle occasional off-roading.

Suspension is for smoothing out bumpy rides. Some gravel bikes stabilize the rider with frame-flexing technology, while others have front suspension, softening the impact of bumps and preventing you from accidentally jerking your handlebars. While grabbing a bicycle with many shock-absorbing mechanisms can provide a smoother ride, remember that these features add weight and may needlessly run up maintenance costs. A gravel bike with no suspension handles rough terrain just fine, so only opt for a suspension pick if you really want the extra stability over bumps.

Mount and Accessories

Your gravel bike can act as your mule on long rides, helping to haul cargo and carry extra accessories, but you need mounting points on your bike to do so. Many gravel bikes have built-in mounts for customizing your cargo-carrying ability. This is useful for long-distance travel and bike tours where hauling extra food, water, and camping gear is essential. We recommend saddle bags and backpacks for those on short commutes and trail rides. In any case, don’t forget a water bottle cage.

Gravel bikes occasionally come with fender mounts, which are coverings that go over your tires to block rain, moisture, and mud from hitting your legs. Fenders, also known as mud guards, are an excellent investment for those planning to bike in unpredictable weather or sloshy terrain.

How We Evaluated

To find the best gravel bikes, we consulted our review archives from Bicycling , and talked with deputy editor Tara Seplavy for recs on the best gravel bikes we’ve tested in our labs over the years. We also referenced cycling publications like Cycling Weekly , Bike Radar , and Cyclingnews . In addition to critical reviews and competitive testing, we also read through customer reviews to see what users had to say about our picks.

The Cannondale Topstone Carbon 4 is a well-rounded gravel bike that can handle a rough trail as easily as a smoothly paved commute.

Its carbon frame makes the bike light and nimble, while the proprietary Kingpin thru-axel (the wheel’s attachment system) suspension allows the bike’s rear to flex and soften the blows of cobblestone, gravel, and uneven paths.

This bike has multiple mounts for racks and bottles, plus six millimeters of clearance for fenders. Its dropped chain-stay design—which allows for more chain slack between the pedals and rear wheel—accommodates tires sizes up to 45mm in width. It has plenty of power for climbing steep hills and it’s a solid price for its package.

The Preamble is Surly’s budget gravel bike made of hefty steel, kitted out with only the features that matter most. This barebones philosophy of the Preamble’s build helps slim down an otherwise heavy material while cutting costs, with prices starting at $899.

The bike comes in sizes XS to XL, fitting riders from 5 feet tall up to 6 foot 7. It has a maximum tire clearance of 650b (the standard tire size for smaller bikes) x 41 mm tires for the smaller sizes and 700c x 41 mm tires for the larger sizes, with plenty room for mudguards. The bike is also available in flat and drop bar configurations to fit your preferences.

The bare minimum components also means this bike may be more effective as a commuter than a touring bike. Although there are rack mounts in the front and rear of the frame, some reviewers say the Preamble is best suited for light backpacking trips and small adventures where you don’t need to overload the ride.

The aluminum-framed Diverge E5 from Specialized is an excellent bike if you’re new to the gravel world. The bike features a huge tire clearance, handling sizes up to 700x47mm or 650b x 53mm, for smaller frames. It has plenty of mounting points for bags, accessories, racks, and fenders. It also doesn’t have any integrated parts, which means you can take care of maintenance at home, without the use of professional tools.

Bicycling tester Dan Chabanov says it’s one of the most versatile bikes on the market, adopting a sportier or more rugged feel with a simple swap of the tires. It can also fit a wide range of bodies with seven different sizes available.

While it’s not as super loaded as the pricier options on this list, the Diverge E5 is a beginner-friendly pitch to cycling due to its versatility, ride quality, and price.

Trek’s Checkpoint series carries some of the company’s most popular gravel rides, and its SL, or super light, model is a solid entry for bikepacking or touring. This carbon-frame bicycle has several mounts for racks, cages, and mud guards, and even has internal storage in its downtube—the front part of the bike's frame closest to your shins—for safekeeping small items.

The proprietary suspension technology helps stabilize the bike over gravel and terrain, smoothing rough rides. It’s also got enough clearance to support large tires up to 700x45mm.

This bike is one of the more comfortable options we recommend, and comfort is vital when you’re spending a long time on a bike saddle.

City dwellers and light trail shredders should consider the Roadster v2 to power through their commutes. This Roadster v2 is a lightweight e-bike with a concealed battery, a quiet motor, and an aluminum frame. It has a 350-watt geared hub motor and can reach 24 miles per hour at top speed. It also has pedal assist to help climb, with one San Francisco-based user saying it has the power to push them up most of the city’s hills with no issues.

This top-rated product is best for casual users who seek an e-bike that doesn’t look like one. Don’t expect this to take you far, though—the battery life range varies between 20 and 30 miles, making this a better pick for commuters than for adventurers. It’s also heavy, which could be a pain for those frequently using stairs for their living or office spaces.

If you’re a newbie to the gravel world and want peace of mind with that hefty price tag, the ADV 2.2 is a low-risk purchase with tons of positive reviews and generous customer support. Made under REI’s in-house bike label, Co-op Cycles, this bike comes with a one-year adjustment period to ensure you love what you’re riding. REI Co-op members also get access to free flat tire repairs as needed.

Straightforward, comfortable, and beginner-friendly, the ADV 2.2 has 20 gears for uphill traction and runs very smooth on the trail. Customers recommend it for REI’s generous return policy, tune-up services, and reliability. Some don’t like the bike’s mechanical disc brakes, which are weaker than hydraulic ones, but they’re cheaper to upkeep.

Headshot of Kevin Cortez

Kevin Cortez is an editor for Runner's World, Bicycling, and Popular Mechanics covering reviews. A culture and product journalist for over ten years, he’s an expert in men’s style, technology, gaming, coffee, e-bikes, hiking, gear, and all things outdoors. He most recently worked as the Style Editor for Reviewed, a top product recommendation site owned by USA TODAY. He also helped with the launch of WSJ's Buy Side commerce vertical, and has covered the music and podcast industries for Mass Appeal, Genius, Vulture, Leafly, Input, and The A.V. Club. Equally passionate about leisure as he is his penmanship, Kevin dedicates his spare time to graphic novels, birding, making cold brew, and taking long, meandering walks.

As Deputy Editor, Tara Seplavy leads Bicycling’s product test team; after having previously led product development and sourcing for multiple bike brands, run World Championship winning mountain bike teams, wrenched at renowned bicycle shops in Brooklyn, raced everything from criteriums to downhill, and ridden bikes on six different continents (landing herself in hospital emergency rooms in four countries and counting). Based in Easton, Pennsylvania, Tara spends tons of time on the road and trail testing products. A familiar face at cyclocross races, crits, and bike parks in the Mid Atlantic and New England, on weekends she can often be found racing for the New York City-based CRCA/KruisCX team. When not riding a bike, or talking about them, Tara listens to a lot of ska, punk, and emo music, and consumes too much social media.

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Best gravel bike 2024 for blazing trails and taking on the urban jungle

The best gravel bikes can do it all, from crushing potholes on the commute to round-the-world bike-packing escapades

best gravel bike: Two smiling caucasian cyclists ride a desert dirt road in Morocco

The fact that you're looking for the best gravel bike is no surprise. Unless you’ve lived under a rock for the past few years – or a large pile of gravel, perhaps – you'll know that bikepacking is insanely popular among cyclists these days. In fact, gravel bikes are ‘cycling's current big thing’, as almost every brand on the planet has launched one. Raising the question, what is the best gravel bike?

Sitting somewhere between the best road bikes and mountain bikes, gravel bikes enable you to ride on uneven surfaces by having wider tyres and lower gearing. The idea is that you can ride them on the road and on gravel without missing a beat. Gravel bikes can be used as rough-and-ready commuting bikes with fat tyres to bulldoze through potholes and for bikepacking.

For both activities, we recommend wearing a bike helmet (see also: best cycling helmets ). Having one of the best bike computers mounted on the handlebar of your gravel bike can also be useful for bikepacking – never leave the house relying on your smartphone only!

Best gravel bikes to buy right now

Why you can trust T3 Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test .

1. Ribble Gravel SL Enthusiast

Our expert review:

Specifications

Reasons to buy, reasons to avoid.

The Ribble Gravel SL Enthusiast is a brilliant out-of-the-box solution if you’re mad keen on the thought of getting into the gravel bike scene. Being a Ribble, the design and build is everything you’d expect from this premium brand. Cleverly though, the company has managed to produce a dependable gravel bike while keeping the price competitive. Sure, it’s not bargain-basement, but if you’re serious about gravel biking, this is as good a place to start as any.

You can get the Ribble Gravel SL Enthusiast in a range of sizes, from X-Small (5’3” – 5’6”/160 – 168cm) through to X-Large (6’ 0” – 6’ 3”/183 – 191cm) with small, medium and large options sandwiched in between. The frame is a Toray T1000/T800 Carbon Monocoque, and the high-quality components continue with SRAM Rival HRD 1x11 speed groupset, Mavic Allroad Disc 650b alloy wheels shod with Halo GXC Gravel 650bx47mm tyres.

Read our full Ribble Gravel SL Enthusiast review .

2. Pinnacle Arkose X Di2 2023

Although it might not have the same credentials as other big-name brands, the Pinnacle Arkose X is one of the best gravel bikes we've ever ridden. Fast, fun and confidence-inspiring, it's a do-it-all rig that feels at home on the road as it is off it. Moreover, the high-spec componentry and pocket-friendly price make it one of the best pound-for-pound adventure bike options.

On tarmac, it was surprisingly nippy for a gravel bike. Its wide, chunky tyres don't exactly scream 'aerodynamically optimised', but it was incredibly easy to hold averages of 32kph (20mph) on the flat, and we had no trouble keeping up with others on road bikes.

Off-road, though, is where it really shone. Light and agile, it helped us leave others in the dust when the trails got technical, and its high-volume tyres took the sting out of rock-strewn gravel paths.

Read our full Pinnacle Arkose X Di2 2023 review .

3. Vello Grabel Bike

The Vello Gravel is a versatile and fully foldable two-wheeler that sounds like it has limited appeal – until you ride it. It’s handy for commuting, thanks to fatter tyres and some basic suspension that delivers a quality ride on all surfaces. And, as the name suggests, you can also take it pretty much anywhere on your travels, both on and off-road (to some degree).

It isn’t a complete solution if you’re a very keen gravel bike fan, but it offers a compromise, especially if you’re frequently commuting or travelling to places in the car where there might be the opportunity to dip into a bit of gravel fun. Out on the road, the Vello Gravel is comfortable and very enjoyable to ride. It feels very nicely engineered and very well designed. Everything is topped off by the excellent choice of components.

Read our full Vello Gravel review .

4. Canyon Grail:ON

The Canyon Grail:ON is the perfect all-rounder e-bike. It would make an ideal commuting machine, with its super comfortable fat tyres and flexing seat post and handlebar top. It has plenty of power, so you don't have to break into a sweat on climbs, no matter how hilly it might be. But even if you're on the way back from the office or a weekend ride, and you spot an interesting-looking gravel path leading off your route, you're free to explore with the knowledge that the Grail:ON will take you wherever you want to go as long as you want to go, whatever your fitness level.

It's not the cheapest option on the market, but as expected from Canyon, you're getting a seriously well-specced bike for your money. You're also buying something that improves your physical and mental health and that you'll be able to enjoy for years. Sure, cheaper electric gravel bikes are on the market, but if you opted for a more affordable model to save a couple of grand, you'd be forever casting envious glances at the Grail:ON.

Read our full Canyon Grail:ON review .

5. Specialized Diverge Comp

Specialized’s Diverge gravel bike stands out from the crowd thanks to its front micro-suspension. The boffins at Specialized have taken the Future Shock design originally found on the Roubaix endurance road bike, which features a comfort-boosting spring inside the headset, and adapted it for off-road use. 

The Diverge’s Future Shock design has a stiffer spring to offer more progressive suspension, so the front of the bike shouldn’t bob about like a witch at Halloween when you’re sending it over the rough terrain it was designed for. More comfort and improved control? That’s a win-win.

The Diverge range features both carbon fibre and aluminium models, and we’ve plumbed for the former here. You’ve got clearance for 42mm tyres - the Diverge is specced with 38mm rubber off-the-shelf, which is a fair size for all-round use - and there’s the option to go even wider with 650b wheels (increasing the tyre clearance to 47mm).

Throw in the slick shifting and first-class braking we’ve come to expecting from Shimano’s second-tier Ultegra groupset and you’ve got a seriously capable machine on your hands.

6. Cannondale Topstone Apex 1

The Cannondale Topstone Apex 1 blurs the line between gravel and mountain bike by including a dropper seatpost. While there’s an argument to be made that a dropper post isn’t necessary on a gravel bike, it does open the Topstone up to the kind of terrain you just wouldn’t take other drop-handlebar whips. 

The 40mm-wide tyres help, too, and additional clearance on top of that means there’s room to go bigger still. Plus you’ll still find rack and mudguard mounts for that everyday around-town practicality. By the way, if you don’t want a dropper post, Cannondale offers two other bikes in the Topstone range (and they are cheaper, too). 

Cannondale has a well-earned reputation for quality aluminium bikes and the Topstone is based around a metal chassis, with a carbon fibre fork up front. The geometry is more relaxed than the company’s road race bikes to keep you comfortable over long distances and to inspire confidence on bumpy trails.

7. Canyon Grail AL 7.0 SL

Canyon launched the Grail in 2018 as its first gravel bike - a machine designed to be fast on the road and comfortable off it. The Grail was initially only available as a carbon fibre frame, complete with Canyon’s radical double-decker handlebar, but there’s now also an aluminium chassis with a conventional handlebar.

We’ve chosen the aluminium option here, thanks to its durability for the rough-and-tumble of gravel riding and all-out affordability. This is a bike designed for curious minds, with Canyon, also offering a range of bikepacking bags if you want to plan a two-wheeled adventure, but mudguard mounts make it a seriously versatile bike equally at home on the commute to work.

This specific model, the Grail AL 7.0 SL, sits at the top of the aluminium range and sports a SRAM Rival 1 groupset, so a single chainring at the front is paired with a huge, climb-crushing cassette at the rear. That gives you the full spread of gears you need for nailing singletrack descents and scaling off-road climbs.

Other quality components include the 40mm Schwalbe G-One Bite tyres, which come in a tan-wall design sure to get cycling purists salivating. Canyon’s direct-sales model – you buy direct from the German brand’s website, with no bike shop acting as a middle-man – makes this a bargain.

8. Trek Checkpoint SL 5

Whereas the Specialized Diverge aims to take the sting out of rough terrain with its Future Shock front suspension, the Trek Checkpoint takes the opposite approach and focuses on the rear. Trek’s IsoSpeed decoupler isolates the seattube from the toptube to cushion the ride, protecting your rear end in the process.

That’s just one of the smart features on the Checkpoint, which also features a carbon fibre frame (with a protection plate on the downtube to defend against gravel), a Blendr-compatible stem (you can clip your lights directly into the stem, saving space on the handlebar) and Trek’s Stranglehold dropouts, which allow you to tweak the geometry to match your riding style. There’s up to 15mm of adjustability, so you can quicken or relax the handling as you wish.

Mudguard and rack mounts, as well as additional bosses on the fork, toptube and underside of the downtube for extra bottles or luggage, make this a bike with serious versatility. Fit a set of mudguards and use the Checkpoint as a burly, fat-tyred commuter, or go mad with bike-packing bags and head off into the wilderness.

9. Pinarello Grevil+ Force Disc

The Italian maestros over at Pinarello are best known for their race bikes – Sir Bradley Wiggins, Chris Froome and Geraint Thomas have all ridden the company’s bikes to victory at the Tour de France – but this is a departure from the norm: a Pinarello gravel bike. And if you needed further evidence that the gravel trend is here to stay, this is it. When a storied brand like Pinarello is getting on board, you know it’s a sure thing. 

As we’ve come to expect from Pinarello, the Grevil+ gravel bike is suitably high-end. The frame’s tube profiles have been crafted with aerodynamics in mind (yep, an aero gravel bike) and the grade of carbon fibre is described as ‘the best existing today’. This build comes with smaller diameter 650b wheels wrapped in plump 47mm-wide tyres, while SRAM’s lightweight Force 1 groupset provides the shifting and braking. Of course, all that means you may need to sell a kidney to afford it.

10. Kinesis Tripster AT

British brand Kinesis has a well-deserved reputation for versatile and dependable bikes, and the Tripster AT only bolsters that. With an aluminium frame and carbon fibre fork, adorned in quality components, this is a machine capable of taking almost anything in its stride. 

The Columbus Futura Cross fork is worth pausing on as it features a ‘flip-chip’ to switch the rake of the fork from 47mm and 52mm. Want to use the Tripster AT for blasting around with a grin plastered across your face, hopping from the road to bridleways and back again? Use the 47mm option. Heading onto unknown terrain or loading the frame with bike-packing bags? Lengthen the wheelbase for additional stability. This complete bike features a mix of SRAM Apex and Rival 1 components, with Kinesis wheels, Schwalbe tyres and Ritchey finishing kit.

How to buy the best gravel bike for you

The term ‘gravel bike’ came out of the US, where there’s an expansive network of gravel roads that need something tougher than a road bike but not as aggressive as a mountain bike. Really, it’s a catch-all term - these bikes are ultimately designed to offer maximum versatility. 

But with a drop-handlebar and knobbly tyres, isn’t a gravel bike just a rebranded cyclo-cross bike? No: gravel bikes are far more versatile than their CX brethren, and also open up a whole new world of riding compared to a traditional road bike with skinny tyres. If you could only own one bike (perish the thought!), chances are it would be a gravel bike.

But that’s enough of that. What do you need to consider when buying a gravel bike? And what are the best gravel bikes money can buy? Read on.

Gravel bike frames are normally made from aluminium, steel or carbon fibre, although you can also find machines crafted from titanium. Aluminium is the most affordable frame material and well-suited to the demands of riding over rugged terrain, while carbon fibre bikes will be the lightest and, in the majority of cases, most expensive.

There are typically four features that combine to set a gravel bike apart from a road bike or cyclo-cross bike: geometry, disc brakes, tyre clearance and gearing. Depending on what you want to use the bike for, you should also look out for additional features that may further increase its versatility, like rack or mudguard mounts, while some manufacturers have also developed mini-suspension systems to improve comfort.

Let’s start with geometry - in other words, the layout (lengths and angles) of the frame’s tubes. There’s no single blueprint to follow but gravel bikes are designed with versatility at the top of the agenda, so most frames will have a geometry that favours long-distance comfort and off-road stability over race-ready speed and aerodynamics. As a result, you can expect to see a longer wheelbase than a road bike to provide mellower handling over rough terrain.

Cyclo-cross courses normally have lots of tight turns, and that’s reflected in the aggressive geometry of CX race bikes, but gravel bikes will have slacker headtube angles, again to provide more predictable handling. The frame will also put the rider in a more upright position, to cover big miles without needing to see a chiropractor.

Disc brakes are now standard on cyclo-cross bikes, and that’s also increasingly the case on road bikes, but all gravel machines will have discs. They give you more predictable braking performance in all weathers and over all terrains for starters, but disc calipers and rotors also free up much more space for tyre clearance.

And that is one of the key standout features of a gravel bike: plump tyres. You should look for at least 40mm of clearance, with most off-the-shelf bikes specced with tyres that fall somewhere between 30mm and 40mm. Ultimately, you can change the tyres to suit the type of riding you want to do, tweaking the width and tread as appropriate.

Want to use your gravel bike mostly for road use, with the odd tow path, bridleway or forest track thrown in? A 30mm tyre will provide a good balance of speed and versatility. Planning to head off-road or into the wilds? A chunkier tyre with a more aggressive tread pattern will give you more comfort and grip. Many gravel bikes will also accommodate smaller diameter 650b wheels, which boost tyre clearance further.

The gearing on a gravel bike should be more forgiving than a road or cyclo-cross bike to account for the steeper and tougher terrain you’ll find off-road, as well as the fact you may be weighed down by bikepacking bags. Many gravel bikes will be specced with a 1X (read, ‘one-by’) groupset with a single front chainring and wide-ranging rear cassette, while others will use a compact (50-34t) or sub-compact (48-32t) double chainset with two chainrings.

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Matt Kollat is a journalist and content creator who works for T3.com and its magazine counterpart as an Active Editor. His areas of expertise include wearables, drones, fitness equipment, nutrition and outdoor gear. He joined T3 in 2019. His byline appears in several publications, including Techradar and Fit&Well , and more. Matt also collaborated with other content creators (e.g. Garage Gym Reviews ) and judged many awards, such as the European Specialist Sports Nutrition Alliance's ESSNawards. When he isn't working out, running or cycling, you'll find him roaming the countryside and trying out new podcasting and content creation equipment.

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The 7 Best Gravel Bikes for Every Type of Cyclist

best gravel bike travel

Gravel biking has become one of the most popular cycling activities in the past year, according to a January 2024 report from activity tracker app Strava .

In this recent trend report, which includes data from uploaded activities from October 2022 through September 2023, Strava found gravel biking is the fastest growing sport among its users, with a 55 percent global increase and 48 percent U.S. increase in this off-road sport.

Gravel cycling involves riding on packed dirt or gravel roads, often with a gravel-specific bike. Unlike mountain biking, gravel biking rarely involves major rocks or tree roots. Sometimes, gravel cycling will require some riding on paved roads in order to get to your preferred off-road route.

  • Bruce Lin , tech writer for The Pro’s Closet , a Colorado-based certified bike reselling website
  • Julie Dunkle , an elite triathlete, experienced gravel cyclist, and triathlon coach
  • Karel Sumbal , an elite triathlete, gravel cyclist, endurance sports coach, and veteran bike fitter
  • Marni Sumbal , an elite triathlete, gravel cyclist, and endurance sports coach

While not required, a gravel-specific bike, colloquially known as a “gravel bike,” can make gravel riding safer and more fun. That's because gravel bikes have thicker, knobbier tires to accommodate for the rough roads and may have sturdier, alloy frames to provide vibration resistance against the rocks and dirt you’ll ride over.

Want to give gravel cycling a try or just in the market for a bike upgrade? To take the guesswork out of your search, we spoke with elite cyclists, coaches, and bike sellers to help you narrow down which bike is best for you.

  • 01 How We Chose
  • 02 Best Gravel Bikes
  • 03 Tips For Buying

Because some manufacturers market bikes according to gender, we've listed both women's and men's picks below. The difference between most men's and women's bikes lies in the bike's frame size. We encourage you to choose the bike that fits your proportions best, regardless of what the label says.

Our favorite gravel bikes at a glance:

  • Best overall:   Trek Checkpoint series , $1,800+
  • Best for beginners:  Cannondale Topstone 4 , $1,325
  • Best budget:  Polygon Tambora G4 , $900
  • Best for racing: Specialized Diverge Expert Carbon , $5,000
  • Best for men: Giant Revolt line , $1,283+
  • Best for women: Juliana Quincy , $4,000
  • Best electric:  Specialized Turbo Creo SL Expert EVO , $9,000

How we chose our top picks

Bikes come in a variety of styles and sizes with different components, like as handlebars and gears. It’s important to consider how much you want to spend on a new bike, how much you’ll ride the bike, and what your goals are in cycling before doling over potentially thousands of dollars on a new ride.

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We spoke with four experts to get their takes on the seven best gravel bikes of 2024. They took brand recognition, quality, build, and price points into consideration when recommending the following bikes.

All four experts leveraged their collective decades of experience as cyclists and from interacting with the cycling community to recommend their picks.

Shop the best gravel bikes for every type of rider

Trek checkpoint gravel bike on white background

“The best gravel bike is the one that fits properly,” says Bruce Lin , a tech writer for The Pro’s Closet , a Colorado-based certified bike reselling website.

So, connecting with your local bike shop or bike fitter will help you determine what the best overall gravel bike is for your specific needs.

Although there are many models Lin considers among the best overall gravel bikes of 2024, he recommends the Trek Checkpoint series.

“I consider Trek Checkpoints to be benchmark gravel bikes,” Lin says. “The carbon version of the Checkpoint adds extra comfort at the rear with its IsoSpeed Decoupler, and there is also an affordable aluminum Checkpoint option, too.”

You can own a Checkpoint for as low as $1,800 with an aluminum frame, a SRAM Apex 11-speed single drivetrain, and mechanical disc brakes.

If you’re looking to spend a bit more, for $3,300 and up, you can have a fully carbon Checkpoint complete with internal storage (meaning inside of the frame), multiple gear and water bottle mounts and a 2x drivetrain (which means there are two chainrings in the front).

With 11 models of varying price, materials, and sizes in the Checkpoint family, Trek has truly built a gravel bike for everyone.

cannondale topstone 4 gravel bike on gray background

Julie Dunkle , an elite triathlete, experienced gravel cyclist, and triathlon coach, recommends the Cannondale Topstone 4 as the best gravel bike for beginners.

This bike is a “solid alloy gravel bike with a full carbon fork, a 1x drivetrain, and ample gear mounting points,” she says.

At $1,325 the Topstone 4 isn’t an intimidating gravel bike from a budget or style standpoint. An alloy frame means the bike is made by combining two different metals together—usually aluminum and another element—to create a sturdy, durable frame.

The Topstone 4 also has a 1x drivetrain, which means there’s only one front chainring. This means riders who are new to gravel biking won’t have to worry about transitioning between front chainrings—only shifting between easier and harder gears located on the rear wheel of the bike.

This bike also has the ability to mount front and rear fenders for wet or muddy rides, and it has plenty of spots to mount a water bottle holder.

Polygon Tambora G4 on white background

For under $1,000, the Polygon Tambora G4 gives riders an alloy frame and carbon front fork, without any complicated configurations, Dunkle says.

The front fork even offers two configurations for the thru axle—a gravel-specific slot-in for the axle, and a road-specific slot-in for the days you’d rather stick to the pavement. The two slot-ins change the angle of the front setup ever-so-slightly to accommodate for upright, stable gravel needs and a more angled road position.

The Tambora G4 also features tire clearance up to 45c tires, meaning you can put some large, stable tires on the bike if desired. A 40-tooth chainring accommodates even the most diverse riding needs and a 1x drivetrain makes this bike uncomplicated for new riders or those who simply don’t want the fuss of more than one chainring.

Specialized Diverge Expert Carbon gravel bike on a white background

If you plan on racing —and being competitive—in gravel cycling, it’s likely you’ll want to invest in a carbon gravel bike.

Carbon frames tend to be lighter and more nimble than frames made of alloy or steel, allowing a rider to carry less weight from their bike as they traverse already difficult terrain.

The Specialized Diverge series ranges from $1,300 all the way up to $12,500, but the Diverge Expert Carbon ($5,000) is a great starter racing bike that won’t set you back as far as other racing bikes budget-wise.

The Expert Carbon is a fully-carbon bike complete with internal cable routing and disc brakes for accurate stop time and distance. The bike also contains a front fork suspension to handle rougher terrain.

This bike also comes with nicer wheels than a cheaper, non-racing gravel bike: Roval 32mm depth carbon wheels and 42c tires, both of which are ideal for covering off-road terrain while maximizing weight and aerodynamics.

giant revolt gravel bike on white background

Lin notes there likely “isn’t a great answer to the question of the best gravel bike for men” because the best bike is “the one that fits properly.” In fact, many bike manufacturers are moving away from the traditional model of having men- or women-specific models and are trending toward offering more expansive sizing to accommodate a variety of body measurements, he says.

That being said, the Giant Revolt line offers frames that are meant to accommodate riders as tall as 6’7″ and 330 pounds, which can work well for those who are taller and naturally have more weight to their body.

The Revolt line spans affordable alloy frames all the way to elite carbon composite frames and features disc brakes on all its models as well as carbon front forks on all its models.

“Even a properly sized bike might not fit just right out of the box,” Lin says. Y ou should chat with a local bike shop or bike fitter to determine if you need a longer stem, wider handlebars, or a different saddle to accommodate your specific measurements and to find a comfortable setup for your body size and riding needs.

juliana quincy gravel bike on white background

While it can be comforting to see women-specific bikes—and to support female-owned bike brands—it’s generally not necessary for a woman to seek out a female-specific bike, according to Marni and Karel Sumbal, elite triathletes, gravel cyclists, and endurance sports coaches.

Instead, the Sumbals recommend finding a bike that will fit your unique measurements. Marni notes that because she’s 5’0″, she often feels limited in her bike choices. She shares how important it is for her— and for others who may be shorter and smaller in stature—to fully understand her measurements and how they will apply, or not, to whatever gravel bike she’s looking at.

Working with an experienced bike fitter can help any cyclist understand key measurements that’ll make selecting a bike easier.

Marni recommends the Juliana Quincy, which she currently rides, because it comes in both 700- and 650-sized wheels and can be configured from a 1x drivetrain to a 2x drivetrain, if desired.

The Juliana Quincy also has a more sloped top tube (the tube between the seat and the handlebars), which can make it easier for people who may be shorter to get on and off the bike.

Marni says that overall, the bike is stable and responsive for her size and needs on the bike. She also notes that due to a person’s unique measurements, any bike may require a bit of finessing after purchasing, such as new handlebars for smaller shoulder widths or shorter crank arms for shorter legs. All of this should be considered when looking at any gravel bike, female-specific or otherwise.

Specialized Turbo Creo SL Expert EVO gravel bike on white background

Lin notes he’s a major fan of the Specialized Turbo Creo SL Expert EVO gravel bike.

“The Turbo Creo is sleek and lightweight, and the low torque motor feels very natural to ride,” Lin says. “[The bike] blends in well with ‘regular’ bikes, too.”

Lin notes that the Turbo Creo might not be right for everyone, though—and that other gravel bikes, like the Cannondale Topstone Neo, provide even more assistance with a more powerful motor.

The Turbo Creo SL EVO weighs in at just over 28 pounds, which is shocking for an e-bike —most clock in well over 35 pounds. The bike’s battery has a range of about 80 miles when fully charged (and has the option to purchase an aftermarket 40-mile range extender) and assists up to 240 watts.

This bike is pricey, but if you’re looking for a gravel e-bike that will fool even your most gravel-educated friends into thinking it’s analog, this award-winning bike is the move.

Tips for buying a gravel bike

Buying a new gravel bike is a big purchase, so it’s important to chat with an expert beforehand. A local bike shop or bike fitter can be great resources to discuss what size bike you need or if you need to upgrade components such as the gearing or cranks (what the pedals connect to) after buying your bike.

Before going all-in on your new gravel bike, it’s important to step back and consider a few factors:

  • How much are you willing to spend on a new bike? Knowing your budget range will help narrow your search and keep you from overspending.
  • What style of bike do you like? Some people prefer flat handlebars and a more upright position, while others want curved handlebars and a more aerodynamic way to sit on the bike.
  • How much will you ride the bike? Understanding if you plan on riding this bike every day of the week or once in a blue moon will also help to narrow your search for a gravel bike.
  • What are your athletic goals? If you want to work toward your first gravel race, you may want to invest in a slightly more aerodynamic and lighter gravel bike. If you want to join in on a no-drop group ride once a week, you may not need to shell out as much dough for a new gravel bike.

1. How does a gravel bike differ from a road or mountain bike?

Lin sums up the differences as “tires, geometry, gearing and intended use—gravel bikes sit in between road and mountain bikes for all of these features.”

Gravel bike tires are usually in the 38 to 50mm width range, which is wider than road tires but still not as wide as mountain bike tires. This width range makes gravel tires more nimble than mountain bikes on packed dirt or gravel terrain, but stabler than road bikes would be off road, Lin explains.

Lin goes on to say that gravel geometry is generally more upright and stable than road bike geometry, but not quite as upright and wide as mountain bikes. Gravel bikes may not feel as aerodynamic or “sporty” when ridden on paved roads, but their upright position will benefit riders on more rugged terrain where stability is key.

Gravel gearing is often "easier" than road gearing, Lin says. Gravel bikes have lower gears that make it easier to keep the pedals turning when biking up steep or rocky terrain. The trade-off, Lin says, is that gravel bikes tend to lack the higher gears road bikes have for hitting higher speeds on paved roads.

Lin describes gravel bikes as the best “happy medium” between road and mountain bikes. Gravel bikes can be used on pavement and on some “tamer” mountain bike single-track trails.

2. Are gravel bikes good for long-distance riding?

Gravel bikes are probably the best bike for long-distance riding, Lin says.

“Gravel bikes have the perfect balance of comfortable geometry, compliance, and versatility to handle epic adventures,” Lin says. “Most are designed to conquer the world's biggest gravel races, where riders cover well over 100 miles or sometimes over 200 miles in a single day.”

Gravel bikes’ upright geometry and ability to handle gritty off-road paths make them ideal for crafting an all-day adventure by bike.

3. What is the best frame material for a gravel bike?

Thanks to advances in bike material technology, there isn’t one particular material that reigns supreme, Lin explains.

“The ‘best’ frame material really depends on each athlete’s individual needs and goals,” Lin says. “Aluminum, steel, alloy, and carbon all work great—but there are some generalizations we can make to help athletes choose the best bike for them.”

Lin explains the following:

  • Aluminum frames tend to be the most affordable. They’re also stiff, durable, and not as heavy as many people think.
  • Steel bikes tend to be the heaviest, but they're often the most durable and comfortable frames. Titanium is similar to steel but lighter and more expensive.
  • Carbon frames are usually the lightest option, and they're what you'll usually see being used by pros and competitive racers.

Aluminum or steel frames are a great investment for those looking to purchase a gravel bike that will be durable, reliable, and will last for many years, if not decades. A carbon-framed bike is a strong purchase for someone looking to compete in gravel races or level up their game in gravel bike racing.

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Best gravel race bikes – Eight options for every type of race

Our pick of the gravel bikes that will carry the most speed off-road

Best overall

  • For racing only
  • Rough terrain
  • Best handling

The superlight one

Great at accelerating, best of the rest, how to choose the best gravel race bike for you.

gravel racers

1. Quick List 2. Best overall 3. Best all-out speed machine 4. The one with suspension 5. Laser-guided handling 6. The superlight one 7. Best of the rest 8. How to choose

Most of us will by now acknowledge the point that the term 'gravel cycling' encompasses a wide range of different riding. Whether that be testing drop bar bikes on mtb trails, or riding manicured gravel surfaces over easy terrain. Gravel racing is also booming, and like any race scenario competitors will want the fastest most capable bikes to gain a competitive edge and travel as swiftly as possible. Wheel and tyre choices to suit the terrain also play a part and the best gravel wheels will help extract more speed from a particular setup.

The bikes in this guide are our pick of the swiftest gravel bikes on the market. These bikes will have comparable stiffness and geometry to road bikes and will really move off-road. Sometimes forsaking comfort in the pursuit of stiffness and speed. That's what we are looking at here, very capable bikes but ones that focus on speed off-road. Check out our best budget gravel bikes too if you want to look at a wider range of options.  

Some of the bikes in this guide are also included in our best gravel bikes and our recent Cyclingnews gravel bikes group test and awards

Vitus Venon

The Vitus Venon Evo-GR took home the best racer gong from our recent Cyclingnews Awards testing. It's a fast and racy bike that made the whole CN test team grim and our riding changed immediately when we swung a leg over the Evo. It urges you to spring, attack sections and carry speed everywhere.

Read more below

Factor Ostro

All-out speed machine

The Factor Ostro Gravel has a monster spec and is the same weight as a lot of road bikes now. It's rapid on more groomed terrain off-road but is a little unforgiving on certain terrain. 

A Specialized Diverge STR stands on a gravel track

Best for rough ground

The Specialized Diverge STR is a futuristic machine designed specifically for racers around 47c tyre clearance and a frame with front and rear suspension. It offers a well-damped ride in a lightweight frame paired with SRAM Rival eTap wireless shifting and powerful hydraulic brakes. 

A green Basso Palta II stands in front of a haystack

Snappy and precise handling 

The Basso Palta II is another seriously fast-riding bike from the Italian brand. We really valued its pinpoint handling and stylish looks. Basso also increased the max tyre clearance for this model to boost comfort if needed on rougher terrain.

A black S-Works Crux stands on a gravel path

One for when weight counts  

The Specialized S Works Crux is another flying machine and is a seriously lightweight gravel bike. As well as being a very capable race bike in its own right. The black and white S Works branding and paint scheme look really purposeful too. 

A black Pinarello Grevil stands on a muddy trail

Aero nods and speedy when putting the power down

The Grevil is Pinarello's race bike. We found it really felt good accelerating out of corners and when putting the power down and liked its aggressive aero frame profiles. 

The best gravel race bikes available now

You can trust Cyclingnews Our experts spend countless hours testing cycling tech and will always share honest, unbiased advice to help you choose. Find out more about how we test.

The best overall

Vitus Venon

1. Vitus Venon Evo-GR

Specifications, reasons to buy, reasons to avoid.

The Vitus Venon is a real racer and took home the best racer award from our group test. Since it's amongst a host of racy company here, it takes the best overall spot. The bike looks aggressive and fast standing still with its deep carbon wheels and wide Michelin tyres. 

In use the Venon Evo urges you on at every turn, our whole test team found themselves riding more aggressively and putting in digs on every little rise in the road and when accelerating out of corners. It's a really fun bike to ride; you could race cyclocross very easily on it or fit some road tyres and not lose out much there either. If you require a fast bike to race on and really push the Venon would fit the bill really nicely. 

SRAM electronic shifting takes gear of the groupset duties, the only point we raised in this department is that the 42T chainring is possibly a little on the large side for some gravel applications, but fits in well with the fast nature of the bike. You could also race this bike on the road with different tyres and a few tweaks increasing its usefulness. 

Factor Ostro

2. Factor Ostro Gravel

Our expert review:

The Factor Ostro Gravel is a pure aero gravel race bike - in fact the UCI would let you use it in its sanctioned road races alongside the  best aero road bikes . It's light too, with a 900g claimed frame weight and 7.9kg total weight for the review bike with pedals and extras included.

The ride on smoother gravel is sensationally fast and responsive and encourages you to get down and aero to up your speed, while the Ostro Gravel even copes well with mud thanks to the tyres' side lugs. Things aren't so great once it gets rough though, with a jarring ride that makes putting the power down difficult and made landing back on the tarmac a relief. So the Ostro is perhaps best suited to smoother, faster gravel racing where the terrain isn't too challenging. Although that depends on the rider. 

We rated the Black Inc integrated cockpit and wheels, as well as the fast-rolling Goodyear Connector tyres. Although you could build up the frameset 2x, complete builds are only available 1x with SRAM XPLR.

Check out our in depth review of the Factor Ostro here.

The one with suspension

Specialized Diverge STR gravel bike side on in the Black Forest

3. Specialized Diverge STR Expert

While the Diverge STR might come with a polarising aesthetic and added complexity because of the dual 'Future Shock' suspension, it's a feature that boosts ride quality and really improves the compliance at the bike's two main touchpoints; bars and saddle. Flipping the rear suspension into its 'Open' setting, you can look down and watch how much the small stanchion moves, and how much added compliance it's offering.

While some might argue this feature takes away from its raciness, we'd suggest it is fundamental to what makes it one of the best gravel race bikes out there; making it suited to racing over rougher terrain, or over long distances where improved compliance adds up to a significant performance gain over time.

Our tested model was the Expert, complete with SRAM Rival eTap groupset. We've also ridden the S-Works model and while that was naturally had a lighter, racier feel, we'd put the more affordable one on our shopping list.  

Find out more: Specialized Diverge STR Expert review .

Laser guided handling

Best gravel race bikes: A Basso Palta II in green pictured in front of hay bales

4. Basso Palta II

If speed is your No.1 concern then the Basso Palta II is where you want to set your sights. Its predecessor was already one of the raciest bikes on the market but Basso set out to address its only real downside – a lack of comfort – and they didn't disappoint. 

The new Palta still retains the same outright pace, confident handling and agility but small tweaks to the geometry have resulted in a more compliant ride. The seat stays have been curved and further flex is provided by dropping their meeting point with the top tube to expose more seat post. Basso’s 3B seat post clamp system helps to absorb vibrations and the tyre clearance is now up to 45mm from the previous 42mm.

But Basso recognise that speed is the Palta's raison d'etre and have not taken their eye off the ball on that front, adding aero gains with internal cable routing and Kammtail shaping for the fork, head tube and down tube. These changes are not dramatic – it is not as aero-focused as the 3T Exploro or the Pinarello Grevil below – but ensure the Palta remains the type of bike that would be supremely comfortable on the road with a simple switch of wheels.

The trade-off, we found, was that its short wheelbase and higher bottom bracket compared to, say, the Specialized S-Works Diverge, meant the Basso Palta II does lose its composure somewhat on more extreme sections of gravel.

Get the full rundown in our extended Basso Palta II review . 

Best gravel race bikes: Specialized S-Works Crux 2022 in black on gravel road with fields in background

5. Specialized S-Works Crux 2022

The Specialized S-Works Crux may appear a little bit of a left-field option but will suit those looking for a lighter-weight, lighter-gravel ride.

The Crux model, once a purely cyclocross bike in the Specialized stable, has been adapted to take advantage of the growing interest in gravel bikes. Why, you might ask, would Specialized need this in its line-up when it already has the S-Works Diverge? 

The simple response is that the Crux offers something different. It comes with same impressive Roval Terra CLX wheelset as the Diverge but otherwise has more road-bike characteristics such as narrower handlebars and – perhaps most significantly – an ultra-light 725kg frameset. Our test bike came in at an overall weight of 7.25kg, which is more than a kilogram-and-a-half saving on the Diverge. 

Much of that saving will be accounted for by the absence of the Future Shock front suspension assembly that features on the Diverge. So while we were impressed with the levels of small-bump compliance from the Crux frame to handle the high-frequency vibrations on the gravel surfaces we took in on, there's nothing else to add the large-bump compliance its sister bike possesses. 

In terms of performance, it is therefore more closely related to the likes of the Factor LS featured below. We found it an absolute rocket over the smoother gravel surfaces that suit it and – proving it has moved away from its cyclocross roots – we were comfortable taking it on multiple-hour rides.

To find out if this is the best gravel race bike for you, read our Specialized S-Works Crux review .

A Pinarello Grevil with its distinctive aero tubing on muddy track in the woods

6. Pinarello Grevil

Pinarello's racing DNA shines through in the construction of the Grevil and it is perhaps the most distinct example of speed triumphing over comfort in this guide to the best gravel race bikes. 

The swoopy, fluctuating aero tubing is unmistakably Pinarello and certainly won't be to everyone's taste. Initially it wasn't to ours but, once we got riding, we began to be won over by its taut, communicative frame eating up the flats and descending with dynamic grace. Campagnolo's 13-speed Ekar 1x groupset perfectly complemented the bike's speed and efficiency with smooth, reliable shifting and excellent braking performance to boot.

However, it is the Grevil that made us realise, while versatility is admirable quality, some of the best gravel race bikes are best being just that - racing bikes.

The Grevil began to show its insecurities when the going got rough. As we left the light gravel and found corrugated roads and singletrack, the stiffness that at first translated to responsiveness and acceleration began to transfer the impacts from all the lumps and bumps through our hands and the intuitive handling became nervous. 

Some of the worst chatter would have been offset by the Grevil's 650b wheels with 47mm tyres – which actually did little to stifle its speed on the flatter, smoother surfaces – but the aluminium Fulcrum Rapid Red 300 wheelset, while functional, was a little unremarkable for a bike of such lofty ambition (and price) and we found the rims filled with water easily.

This is a bike that won't reward you for pushing its boundaries and is best sticking to what it does best. But that best – an aggressive all-out racing bike – is pretty spectacular.

Get all the details in our full review of the Pinarello Grevil .

Best gravel race bikes: Canyon Grail CF SL 7 eTap in black and green

7. Canyon Grail CF SL 7 eTap

Straight out of the box, the Canyon Grail CF SL 7 eTap delivers frightening pace on road and trail. It is relatively lightweight, the shifting with SRAM's Rival eTap AXS XPLR is responsive and reliable, its braking is precise and it climbs and descends equally proficiently on technical sections. 

There is very little to fault it and, when considering you can pick it up for a third of the price of a Specialized S-Works Diverge, it has to warrant a place among the best gravel race bikes that we have tested. 

Yes, when the road gets really rough it starts to bump you around but a combination of the chunky frame, 40mm tyres, S15 VCLS 2.0 CF suspension seat post and 'hoverbar' do a great job of ironing out buzz.

That hoverbar – the Canyon CP07 Gravel Cockpit – is the bike's most defining feature and, perhaps – along with the bland paint schemes on offer – the most likely to turn off potential buyers. Featuring two parallel bars between the drops, it soaks up the chatter with the 'flex area' in its upper section and offers up a multitude of potential hand positions. The frame is built around the CP07, however, so fitting regular-style drop bars is not really an option as it is likely to ruin the handling dynamics and comfort. 

Read the full Canyon Grail CF SL 7 eTap review to get the complete picture.

3T Exploro Force in black with red logo pictured on a remote trail near woodland

8. 3T Exploro

The 3T Exploro thumbs its nose at the suggestion there are no aerodynamic advantages to be gained in gravel racing. 3T claims its tubing shows aero savings at speeds as low as 20mph/32kph in testing and, in real life, we found it to result in a racey-yet-playful ride.

But don't get hung up on its aero tagline, this bike ticks so many boxes for us and will be the versatile friend many will be looking for in a gravel bike. Slap on a pair of trainers – in this case 700c wheels with road tyres – and it's time to hit the tarmac; pull on the hiking boots (650b with 2.1in rubber) and you're ready for the trails. And for those who aren't a fan of faffing about with wheel switches, we found that 3T's Hang Loose rear derailleur hanger really made this process easier. 

There's the option for a 1x setup if you've decided you sit on that side of the fence in the great gravel bike debate and a fun, flickable nature to the Exploro's ride performance. 

Find out why we gave it five stars to rank it amongst the best gravel race bikes with our in-depth 3T Exploro review .

As with any purchase, the best first step to choosing a gravel race bike is to consider what sort of gravel racing you're going to do. That might sound confusing already, but consider the terrain in which you live; is it hardpacked gravel that could be mistaken for a badly-surfaced road? Or is it the sort of terrain that would have some mountain bikers feeling challenged? 

Our esteemed colleague Will handily put together a guide that may help you answer this, simply titled " what is gravel? "

Once you know this, you'll know whether you want a gravel bike with big tyres and perhaps even suspension for rough terrain, or perhaps something that more resembles a road bike, like the Specialized Crux. 

After this, consider your budget, and weigh this up against the spec choices on offer. Our rundown of road bike groupsets should help you decide which you want, and our guide explaining 1x vs 2x should also be useful. 

You'll also need to know which size bike you need , as well as have an understanding of gravel bike geometry . 

Are gravel bikes good for racing?

Yes, definitely. Gravel racing is alive and well. As this guide has shown, there are plenty of gravel bikes out there that have been designed with speed in mind. The type of racing is the most significant factor here. While many gravel bikes will behave much like a road bike when fitted with road tyres, an equivalent road bike will simply be more suited to racing on the tarmac. The geometry of the frame – with a shorter stack height and head tube, and longer reach – will facilitate a more aero position. The frame will not need as much built-in compliance to handle off-road lumps and bumps so can be made lighter and stiffer for better responsivity and efficiency. 

Gravel bikes are typically more upright, with aerodynamics less of a concern, and with longer wheelbases to improve handling and stability, as well as that all-important clearance to handle thicker tyres. The best gravel race bikes will sit between the two extremes, trying utilise the attributes of the best road bikes while also giving the compliance needed to make riding off-road comfortable for the rider.

Can a gravel bike go as fast as a road bike?

In essence, no. A road bike is always going to be faster than an equivalent gravel bike because it can be built purely to handle smooth road conditions underneath. Although there's probably less in it than you think, especially with the fastest gravel bikes. Bike design is often a balance between stiffness (which will essentially translate to speed) and comfort, and the further you venture from the tarmac, the more comfort has to be taken into consideration. 

These adaptations to make the ride more comfortable off the road can come in many different ways but are always likely to lead to a trade-off in either aerodynamics, weight, stiffness or rolling resistance that will make the gravel bike essentially slower – until, of course, it ventures off the road.

What groupset is best for a gravel bike?

The 'big three' manufacturers all now supply groupsets to suit the best gravel race bikes, with single-chainring – or 1x – systems becoming ever more popular for the discipline, taking its cue from cyclocross. Campagnolo arguably leads the way with its 13-speed Ekar , while Shimano have several groupsets under the GRX moniker . SRAM lumps its road and gravel groupsets in together, but its XPLR collection is particularly gravel-oriented. 

Essentially, though, it comes down to what suits your riding style and also the type of gravel riding you will be undertaking. If you aren't intending on getting too muddy and will be mixing light gravel with tarmac, a traditional road groupset could suit your needs. But if you are hitting undulating singletrack terrain, you'll need smaller chainrings at the front and a larger cassette at the back, more akin to mountain-biking gearing.

Can you race XC on a gravel bike?

A gravel bike might be suitable for light cross-country riding but would not be appropriate for racing. XC racing bikes are traditionally mountain bikes with full suspension and flat handlebars, which are much more able to cope with the demands of the discipline. The gravel-biking spectrum is wide-ranging and difficult to define precisely, but most people would agree that a bike suitable for XC racing could no longer be defined as a gravel bike.

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Ben has been a sports journalist for 16 years, covering everything from park football to the Olympic Games. As well as cycling, his passions include podcasts, tennis and speaking enough Italian to get by on his snowboarding trips to the Dolomites. A DIY rider who is almost as happy in the toolbox as he is in the saddle, he is still trying to emulate the feelings he experienced as a nine-year-old on his first Peugeot racer – he couldn’t fathom the down-tube friction shifters then and he’s still wrestling with groupsets now. When he isn’t making a beeline for the nearest Chiltern hill, he is probably tinkering or teaching his kids how to clean a bike properly. He rides a heavily modified 1980 Peugeot PVN10 Super Competition (steel is real) when the road is smooth and dry, and a BMC Alpenchallenge when it’s not.

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The World’s Best Gravel Bike Destinations According to Trek Travel

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best gravel bike travel

Everyone seems to be on the hunt for epic gravel bike rides these days.

The explosion of off-road races and social gravel rides in the past several years, coupled with a wide new group of riders who found biking during the COVID-19 pandemic, added more to the popularity of a segment of cycling that had been firmly set on the periphery of the sport for a long time.

But now that trained eyes have been scouring the globe for this niche gravel bike terrain, it looks like no region, city, or community is without a route that gets riders off paved roads.

But with gravel riding, there is always a chance that the road less traveled has been less traveled for a reason. Sometimes gravel rides tend to dead end into unrideable nothingness or land people on or too near to private property for comfort.

Having a knowledgeable guide to help find the path can make all the difference for those seeking out a new gravel bike adventure, and Trek Travel has been working hard over the past couple of years to carve out a role as that guide.

Trek Travel Trips

Trek Travel has been building cycling vacations for more than 20 years. Historically, most of the brand’s global destinations have catered to road cycling and touring. Now, the brand hosts rides in nearly 40 destinations in nearly 20 countries.

Trek Checkpoint gravel bike sitting next to a wooden fence in Vermont.

Some of the more popular trips include a cross-country trip from Portland, Ore., to Portland, Maine, and a trip to France that places riders on some of the most iconic climbs of the Tour de France.

This year’s new lineup of gravel bike trips centers on terrain that is more rugged and chunky than the brand’s usual road-centered offerings.

Trek Travel’s global network of guides has narrowed down all the gravel they could get their hands on to a shortlist of six destinations that are among the best in the world.

Green Mountains, Vermont

The Green Mountains of Vermont slice through the picturesque towns of Stowe and Waterbury, offering a healthy mix of bike paths and unpaved roads that connect riders to multiple cities and a variety of cool attractions, including the Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream Factory and the Trapp Family Lodge, of “The Sound of Music” fame.

Trek Checkpoint gravel bike on a gravel road leading to a barn in Vermont.

The mountainous landscape offers challenging climbs and fast, fun descents, along with sweeping views of farmland and foliage.

Whether on gravel or pavement, Vermont offers a lot of elevation to contend with immediately outside of towns. However, it also features a fun causeway over water that requires a small ferry ride to fully cross, architecture sweeping views at every hilltop.

Bentonville, Arkansas: Gravel Bike Hub?

The fact that Bentonville is on a list of cycling trip destinations shouldn’t surprise anyone. The city has become a destination for cyclists in the past several years. However, many Bentonville visitors come to the city for its extensive network of mountain bike trails.

tt gravel bentonville

As the town that hosts the Big Sugar Gravel bike race, it’s obvious that Bentonville is a slice of paradise for gravel riders , too.

Bentonville is situated in the Ozark Mountains but is also surrounded by farmland, so Trek Travel guides see it as a perfect spot that can accommodate riders of every skill level.

Amy Davison, one of Trek Travel’s trip designers, said Bentonville is a perfect destination for riders of all skill levels.

“One of the things that I’m most excited about is it’s not as hard as you think it’s gonna be. It’s in the Ozarks, but it’s also surrounded by farmland, and most of the gravel is rolling gravel roads in farmland, so it’s not quite as punchy or hilly as I expected,” Davison said. “I think that will be like the full ticket for absolutely any kind of gravel rider.”

Davison also said the culture of Bentonville provides another big draw.

“It’s just got a vibe that is all about cycling. As soon as you step foot in that town, you feel loved and welcomed and celebrated as a cyclist, and you don’t feel that everywhere you know, and it’s just all over town,” she said. “You see cyclists everywhere you see cycling infrastructure everywhere.”

Trek Travel sets riders up in a hotel just off the town square where riders can hop off the bike and easily explore the Wal-Mart Museum or the Crystal Bridges Art Museum after a long day of riding.

Shenandoah Valley, Virginia

The Shenandoah Valley sits in a bit of a pit between the Blue Ridge and Allegheny Mountains. Trek Travel uses the town of Harrisonburg as a launch pad where riders can jet off into rolling farmland and do some serious climbing.

tt gravel sv

Davison said Trek Travel connected with a local endurance gravel cyclist who helped design routes in the area. She said the routes in the valley typically involve more mixed terrain, including pavement, as it takes longer to get out into areas with gravel roads. Once there, riders wind rolling farmland, Mennonite communities, and towns that are hundreds of years old.

“It’s lots of farmlands, but also, we’re on the fringe of the mountains, so we get into the National Forest and throw a nice mountain stage at the end of that one to the high point of the state, which will be really cool and set it off a little bit from the other trips.”

Tuscany, Italy: Legendary European Gravel Bike Riding

Tuscany’s gravel is legendary . The Strada Bianche race is named after the white gravel roads in the Crete Senesi south of Siena on which pro riders battle every year. Usually, about a third of that race covers gravel roads.

White gravel roads of Tuscany.

The region also plays host to the L’Eroica vintage bike festival, on which participants ride on bikes from the ’80s rather than on the latest carbon speed machines of the day.

Davison said the roads of Tuscany also feature challenging hills that connect the northern Chianti region with the southern part of Tuscany.

While the gravel itself may not pose much of a technical challenge, the hills more than make up for it by bringing an added challenge to riders.

Tuscany’s roads are well known, but the culture of food and wine in the region is equally renowned, and riders have plenty of opportunities to sample both.

Girona, Spain: Technical Gravel Bike Terrain

Trek Travel has been running a gravel trip to Girona, Spain , for a while. It previously was the only such trip in the brand’s profile. It also has the distinction of being the ride with the highest degree of technical riding in the gravel bike lineup.

tt gravel girona

“They’ve got some single-track connectors in there and, in fact, some roads where the van can not follow to provide support,” Davison said. “So to us, we’re going to categorize that as a higher degree of difficulty because that will be different from a regular trip where the van can always follow you. Here they kind of have set points where the van meets everyone, but it definitely has some interesting connectors.”

Aside from single-track connectors, a good bit of the Girona gravel bike scene features sparsely traveled fire roads.

St. Moritz, Switzerland

St. Moritz is a resort town in the Swiss Alps at just under 6,000 feet of elevation. Having hosted the Winter Olympics twice, it’s obvious that there is plenty of extremely challenging terrain in the area to challenge cyclists when the snow melts.

Davison, however, said the idea behind the gravel trip to St. Mortiz was to offer a bit of an easier ride experience in which riders stick to the valleys rather than the frosted peaks that surround them.

She said the valleys around St. Moritz are littered with dirt roads that do not have major technical challenges, along with bike paths surrounded by mammoth peaks of the alps that provide a stunning backdrop all day.

Getting Into Gravel Biking

The new gravel bike offerings from Trek Travel give riders a new way to experience a destination by bike. It can be seriously challenging to find gravel roads and safely traverse them without experience or the ability to bail, especially overseas.

Trek Checkpoint gravel bike resting under a wooden bridge in Vermont.

Trek Travel trips feature full support from a chase van, GPS devices, on-bike guides, and a fleet of highly spec’d Trek Checkpoints , so riders don’t have to worry about the hassle of traveling with or shipping their own bikes. Trek Travel guides also hand-pick hotels, restaurants, and off-bike activities to make sure riders get the most out of the region they visit.

“(We’ve seen) the trends of people wanting to buy gravel bikes and kind of get away from traffic in some cases, or just have that little more of a sense of adventure being out in the wilderness, but not necessarily mountain biking,” said Meagan Coates of Trek Travel. “So we decided to develop a bigger collection. I think it’s just kind of dictated by what people are liking to ride and the interest in providing more experiences for folks.”

The beauty of these rides is that they are just out there for anybody to ride, but having the help of a company like Trek Travel makes logistics simple.

Trek Travel offers trips to the destinations above at price points ranging from $1,799 to $3,299.

sakai city

'Sakai City': An Inspiration for Japan's Emerging Gravel Scene

A new generation of Japanese cyclists discovers the joy of gravel riding in the culturally rich port of Sakai City. Read more…

best gravel bike travel

Mark Wilson is a freelance journalist for GearJunkie and BikeRumor. Mark has been writing about cycling, climbing, outdoor events and gear for more than a year. Before that, he spent more than a decade as a journalist at major daily newspapers in Texas covering crime, public safety and local government. Mark spent every free moment during that time carving up singletrack and gravel, or climbing with friends and family in Texas, Colorado and Mexico. Based in Texas, Mark is always looking for new trails, crags and gear to help navigate the outdoors. As a new dad, he is particularly interested in learning how to share his love of the outdoors with his son.

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best gravel bike travel

Best gravel bike tires 2024 for extra grip, volume and speed

Here's our pick of the best gravel bike tires on the market to suit different terrain, conditions, frame clearances and budgets.

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One of the best gravel bike tires mounted on a rim

The Quick List

  • 1. Best for Speed
  • 2. Best All-Rounder
  • 3. Best for Value
  • 4. Best for Dry Trails
  • 5. Best for Soft Trails
  • 6. Best For Hardpack
  • 7. Best For Comfort
  • 8. Best for Rocks
  • 9. Best for Price

What should you look for when buying gravel tires?

How we test, best gravel tires 2023: jump menu.

Gravel bike tire on dry trail

The list in brief ↴

Gravel Tires 1. Best for Speed 2. Best All-Rounder 3. Best for Value 4. Best for Dry Trails 5. Best for Soft Trails 6. Best For Hardpack 7. Best For Comfort 8. Best for Rocks 9. Best for Price Info What should you look for when buying gravel tires?

The best gravel bike tire choice is a topic of conversation whenever you gather together a bunch of off-road drop-bar riders.

The best tread pattern , 700c or 650b, tubeless setups , or the tan sidewall debate - there's a lot to take into account when selecting a new set of the best gravel tires. 

The fact that tires do wear out means that you get more opportunities to experiment and try different options. Switching between different tubeless setups might be a bit of a faff, but what works for you might not necessarily be the preference of the next gravel rider.

Regardless of personal taste, there are a few things that everyone wants on their list: puncture protection, grip, low rolling resistance, low weight, and good value.

Of course, like anything, it might not be possible to get all of these at once, so a compromise is required, based on your priorities, riding style and conditions.

If you're reading this in anticipation of getting your first off-road steed, you'll want to check out our guide to buying your first gravel bike . Equally, if you're a seasoned campaigner but are looking to update your riding quiver then our guide to the best gravel bikes has you covered.

Schwalbe G-One RS gravel tire

Best Gravel Bike Tire for Speed

When conditions allow, the G-One RS is extremely rapid, light and very comfortable too. Furthermore, it's easy to mount and set up tubeless but obviously, it doesn't offer much in the way of grip in loose or wet conditions.

Read more below

Schwalbe G-One Overland gravel tire

Best Gravel Bike Tire for All-Round Performance

A great option for the majority of trail conditions, the G-One Overland is great as a fit-and-forget tire. Despite its lugs, it rolls pretty quickly and they provide impressive grip in looser conditions, only getting a little overwhelmed when things get very muddy.

Hutchinson Touareg gravel tire

Best Gravel Bike Tire for Value

Grippy, quick and well-priced, the Touareg inspires confidence off-road in dry to medium conditions. The shallow center tread rolls well and the side lugs provide good traction when cornering but the weight was rather more than claimed by Hutchinson.

Schwalbe G-One Bite SuperGround SpeedGrip

Best Gravel Bike Tire Dusty Trails

The clue is in the name with the G-One Bite SuperGround SpeedGrip - both speed and grip are available in abundance in the right conditions; namely hardpacked, dry trails. The shallow, closely-packed round knobs and round carcass make it a quick tire, but it falters in mud and slippery conditions.

WTB Resolute TCS SG2 gravel tire

Best gravel bike tire for grip in soft loam

With spaced, square knobs, the Resolute TCS SG2 works in softer conditions than many gravel tires, so if mud or loam is a regular feature of your rides then these are worth considering. There is decent puncture protection too, thanks to a nylon insert in the casing.

Hutchinson Override gravel tire

Best gravel bike tire for hard-packed gravel

A file tread center and densely-packed side knobs mean very low rolling resistance on hard surfaces whilst the tire's volume gives extra comfort on bumpy terrain. Size and puncture protection push up the weight though, and they definitely aren't for use on muddy trails.

Best gravel bike tires: our picks

You can trust Cycling Weekly. Our team of experts put in hard miles testing cycling tech and will always share honest, unbiased advice to help you choose. Find out more about how we test.

Below is our pick of the best gravel bike tires. Head to the bottom of the page for more about what you should look for when choosing the best gravel tires for your bike, the terrain and your riding style - you won't regret it, it's one of the best gravel bike upgrades you can make.

Best gravel bike tire for speed

Schwalbe G-One RS gravel tire mounted on a rim

Schwalbe G-One RS gravel tire

1. Schwalbe G-One RS

Our expert review:

Specifications

Reasons to buy, reasons to avoid.

Billed as Schwalbe’s fastest gravel tire yet, the G-One RS gravel tire has 20% less rolling resistance than the already quick  G-One R  and 35g less weight as well. 

A semi-slick tire, the G-One RS is described as delivering "road speed with cyclocross grip", the tire marries the semi-slick pattern of the Schwalbe X-One Speed cyclocross tire with a more substantial outer knob design.  

We praised the tires for the 'easiest tubeless setup experience yet' and for sheer speed and durability despite the tire's thin casing. 

"In my time on the G-One RS tire, I feel confident to name it among the best race-ready, speedy all-rounder gravel tires on the market today" we said.

"Even if you’ll never line up to race it, you’ll enjoy the fast-rolling, supple quality paired with a reliable grip in most hard-packed or mixed-terrain conditions." 

Read more: Schwalbe G-One RS gravel tire: a season-long review

Schwalbe G-One Overland gravel tire mounted on a rim

Schwalbe G-One Overland gravel tire

2. Schwalbe G-One Overland

Schwalbe’s G-One Overland is designed for gravel riders, commuters and e-bikers alike - especially for those riders who combine asphalt, gravel and a bit of dirt all in one ride, as the Overland strikes an excellent balance between off-road grip, on-road speed and all-round robustness.

The Overland has a fairly aggressive tread for an all-rounder, with quite high profile, elongated lugs on the outside for cornering grip and a tighter, horizontal center tread with a little bit of bite, but also some swiftness. We found these tires to be pleasantly quick for knobby tires, whilst also impressing with their uphill bite and cornering grip on both gravel and dirt.

Underneath, Schwalbe’s Super Ground carcass, taken from the Racing Ralph mountain bike tire, is there to deliver three-layer puncture protection - we didn’t experience any air leaks, punctures or even any visible scrapes or cuts during the testing period, and so in our experience, the tires stand up well to off-road use.

Read more: Schwalbe G-One Overland gravel bike tire full review

Best Gravel Bike Tire For Speed And Grip On A Budget

Hutchinson Touareg gravel bike tire mounted on a rim

Hutchinson Touareg gravel bike tire

3. Hutchinson Touareg

Hutchinson's Touareg gravel bike tires have a shallow chevron-style tread down the middle, with intermediate knobs on the shoulders. Larger still, there is a more widely spaced tread next to the sidewalls.

On review, when replacing a set of lightly treaded Schwalbe G-One tires, we immediately felt more confident on more technical and steep terrain, and these tires really excelled on dusty dry and chalky surfaces. They're definitely more for off-road orientated riders seeking to tip the road/off-road balance in favour of trails, but if you're riding in conditions in the wet and mud, you might want something with more aggressive tread.

They retail at £33 / $64.99, although the claimed weight was some 80g heavier than we measured in our review.

Read more: Hutchinson Touareg gravel bike tires full review

Best Gravel Bike Tire For Speed And Grip On Dry Trails

Schwalbe G-One Bite SuperGround SpeedGrip gravel bike tire mounted on a rim

Schwalbe G-One Bite SuperGround SpeedGrip gravel bike

4. Schwalbe G-One Bite SuperGround SpeedGrip

The Schwalbe G-One Bite SuperGround SpeedGrip gravel bike tires are easy to set up tubeless and offer good amounts of highly predictable grip on hard surfaces and those with a layer of loose debris over the top. 

The rolling resistance felt quite reasonable to us too, so longer stints on the tarmac won’t prove to be a drag. It’s worth noting that the tread pattern can be quickly overwhelmed by sloppy mud, so this isn’t a one-tire-all-year solution.

Read more: Schwalbe G-One Bite SuperGround SpeedGrip gravel bike tires full review

WTB Resolute TCS SG2 gravel bike tire mounted on a rim

WTB Resolute TCS SG2 gravel bike tire

5. WTB Resolute TCS SG2

The issues of puncture protection and weeping sidewalls have been roundly addressed in this new casing for WTB’s Resolute platform. The two-pronged attack saw the thread count increase from 60 TPI (Threads Per Inch) to 120 TPI, improving the suppleness of the carcasses and the way it deforms around bumps. A nylon insert with flattened fibres provides protection while also keeping the weight down - only 20 grams are added over the standard version.

We liked that the tall knobs provided ample grip on loose terrain, such as loamy pine forests or sloppy singletrack, but it still rolled impressively well. The only downside of these tires is that they're missing those trendy tan sidewalls.

Read more: WTB Resolute TCS SG2 gravel bike tires full review

Hutchinson Overide 50mm gravel tire mounted on a rim

Hutchinson Overide 50mm gravel tire

6. Hutchinson Override gravel bike tires

We tested Hutchinson's latest 700 x 50mm width for its Overide tires, which also come in narrower options down to 35mm and as a 650b x 47mm. The 50mm width weighs 610g, thanks to its reinforced design, which helps to ward off punctures.

Pay attention to frame clearance - we measured the tires at 49mm, which may be too broad for some gravel bikes. This does mean that they can be run at pressures as low as 25psi though, which provides plenty of ride comfort.

The central tread is smooth, which leads to low rolling resistance on hard-packed gravel and tarmac, while raised side knobs add grip through corners. The tires don't fare too well in slippery conditions though.

Read more: Hutchinson Overide 50mm gravel bike tire full review

Best gravel bike tire for suppleness

Challenge Getaway gravel bike tire mounted on a rim

Challenge Getaway gravel bike tire 

7. Challenge Getaway

Challenge’s handmade Getaway gravel bike tires are extremely supple, providing a ride of comparable smoothness to that of a much wider vulcanised tire – but with less rubber in contact with the ground, the Getaways feel significantly faster.

The downside to this is that we found the highly flexible carcass made it quite a bit harder to mount the Getaways onto the rim than with a more rigidly U-shaped vulcanised tire. Also, although the suppleness of the Getaways is comparable to that of tires much larger, they do still only have the volume of a 40c tire – so there’s still a need to be cautious about rim strikes.

The tread pattern is quite open, allowing mud and debris to be cleared very quickly. However, with the knob height being fairly low, there isn’t much bite to dig into deep mud and loose rocks. 

This makes the Getaway gravel bike tires best suited for all-weather riding in late spring, summer and early autumn when the ground is mostly hard but the top coating is still a little claggy. The low knob height keeps rolling resistance nice and low for when the conditions are dry, hard, and fast. 

Read more: Challenge Getaway gravel bike tires full review

Best gravel bike tire for loose, rocky conditions

Schwalbe G-One Ultrabite gravel bike tire mounted on a rim

Schwalbe G-One Ultrabite gravel bike tire

8. Schwalbe G-One Ultrabite

These are superb for loose and rocky terrain as well as having good mud-shedding capacity for when the slop covers the hardpack. Despite the aggressive tread, the Ultrabites do roll surprisingly quickly on the tarmac, albeit still slower than a more moderately treaded gravel bike tire. 

The one downside is that in off-camber pure mud, the horizontal knobs of the centre tread don’t offer much in the way of lateral grip, so there's a tendency to sideslip.

Read more: Schwalbe G-One Ultrabite gravel bike tires full review

Best gravel bike tire for value for money

American Classics Aggregate gravel tire mounted on a rim

American Classics Aggregate gravel tire

9. American Classic Aggregate

The American Classic Aggregate tire offers decent performance at a price that's around half that of many competitors. They may not be the lightest, fastest or grippiest option, but for the price it performs well.

The Aggregate is designed for lighter gravel terrain, with quite low profile hexagonal knobs similar to those on the Schwalbe G-One All-Round. There's a 120 TPI casing and nylon bead-to-bead protection layer.

The tire is available in three sizes, including 650b, and with brown sidewalls. The claimed weight of the 40mm width is 480g.

The tire rolls well on tarmac and on hardpacked off-road, although loose gravel and mud weren't handled as well. For us, the ride was comfortable and durability seemed to be good too. 

Read more: American Classic Aggregate gravel bike tire review

Just like Keith Bontrager's famous quip of "strong, light, cheap - pick any two," there's always an element of compromise when it comes to selecting the best gravel bike tires for your bike.

You'll need to consider the terrain you'd like to tackle, what the conditions are like when you ride, and your riding style when it comes to weighing up the options.

That means you'll have to assess tread pattern, size, volume, durability, tubeless compatibility and puncture protection, alongside price and aesthetics when it comes to scouring the growing gravel tire market.

What's the best gravel tire tread pattern?

Essentially, more tread equals more grip, although at the cost of rolling resistance. The best tread for you will largely depend on the terrain and conditions. If you spend most of your time on roads or light gravel, then a fat slick or file tread may be best, whereas if you mostly enjoy singletrack or fire road bashing that pushes the limits of a gravel bike, a knobbier tire will help keep you upright.

In the wet, taller and wider spaced knobs on the tread will add grip and help the tire clear mud, although this can make the bike feel a bit more sluggish on the roads. Therefore, many riders have a preference for different winter and summer tires, depending on where you live.

As an aside, when riding in wetter and muddier conditions, don't underestimate the benefits a set of gravel bike mudguards can bring. These don't give quite the same protection as a traditional set of road mudguards – which can easily get clogged with actual mud and stray branches – but they do keep the worst of the silty water off you and your bike, making riding longer distances much more enjoyable.

What gravel tire size and volume should I look for?

The size and volume of your tires will be limited by the amount of clearance that you have, both in your fork and rear triangle. Opt for smaller 650b wheels (if your frame is compatible) to allow you to up the volume and width of your tires. This greater volume allows for lower tire pressures, which creates a more comfortable ride and also offers improved grip, thanks to a larger contact patch on the ground.

If you'd like to run traditional fenders in the wetter seasons, be mindful that you might need to size down your tires to make room.

How long will the best gravel tires last?

How long your tires will last depends largely on the compound used for the tread and sidewalls, and also the level of puncture protection (more on this later).

The compound used will be matched to the type of riding that the tire is intended for. Cyclocross tires, for example, tend to be softer for use on grass and mud, while more road-focused tires will be made from a harder-wearing compound to cope with the harsher surface of the asphalt.

Just like with the soles of MTB shoes , a softer rubber will offer more grip, but will also wear more quickly.

You should think about replacing your tires when you have significant wear on the tread (although just like old-school cyclocross riders, this can make for a good summer tire and save you some money), or if you see bubbles of tubeless sealant coming through the sidewalls. There's nothing stopping you from putting an inner tube in the tires at this point and using them on a townie or commuter, as long as you replace them before they become dangerously worn.

Should I run tubeless?

Almost all gravel bike tires on the market are now tubeless-ready, although it's definitely worth double-checking before you buy. When you pick up a set of tubeless tires, make sure to chuck some tubeless sealant in your cart too. This liquid is poured directly into the tire, or injected through the valve (with the valve core removed) and will plug holes from thorns, staples, and glass on its own, which in the best case scenario can mean that you can carry on without even knowing that you've punctured.

You may notice the loss of air pressure between the puncture and the sealant doing its job and you will need to top up on air. In some cases, you'll need to rotate the tire to allow the sealant to flow to the affected area for a better chance of sealing. Sealant does have its limits though, and with more serious punctures and bigger holes, a tubeless repair plug may be required.

If your sidewall has been slashed by an offending rock, you'll need to boot it and pop in an inner tube to get you home before replacing your tire. Even though tubeless tires rarely puncture, you should still always carry an inner tube of the right wheel size , just in case.

A common misconception is that you can't get a pinch flat while running a tubeless set-up. If you are using tire pressures that are really low, you run the risk of doing this not to your inner tube, but to the tire itself, especially on rocky terrain. This 'snakebite' of the tire is costly and best avoided. Although you can either plug or internally patch the two holes, it often weakens the tire and can cause awkward punctures toward the bead of the tire which are tricky to fix.

Will tan sidewalls make me faster?

Last but by no means least: the looks. Tan sidewalls are incredibly popular when it comes to gravel bike tires, although they won't be everyone's cup of tea. Many of these tires will be available in black too, or some even with coloured treads or sidewalls.

Make sure you wash your bike regularly — probably every ride in the winter at least — to keep your components happy and your tan sidewalls looking fresh.

Keeping your bike clean also gives you the opportunity to carefully inspect your bike up close, which can help you identify any potential issues with your tires or let you know when they need replacing. And keeping your bike cleaner will help it work better so, yes, tan sidewalls will really help you to ride faster .

The tires were all assessed for a variety of criteria by Cycling Weekly's team of experienced testers. This included how easily the tires mounted to the rim, how straightforward they were to set up tubeless and, of course, how they performed on the trails. When riding, grip, rolling resistance and comfort had to be considered as well as how the tire performed in a variety of trail conditions.

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best gravel bike travel

The Best Design-Minded Gravel Bike Gear for Mixed Terrain Cycling

Tested on the rugged backroads and singletrack of British Columbia, this kit goes fast, far, and looks good along the way

The Best Design-Minded Gravel Bike Gear for Mixed Terrain Cycling

Hans Aschim

Hans Aschim

Field Mag may receive a minor commission from purchases made via affiliate links.

Somewhere between the endurance of spandex-clad road cycling, the technicality of mountain biking, and the randonée spirit of trail running lies gravel cycling . The once burgeoning category is now a full-fledged discipline of riding in its own right, and it’s easy to see why. On a gravel bike, you can go further than on a mountain bike and places a road bike simply cannot. Flowy singletrack? Sure. Hammering down freshly paved blacktop? Feels great on huge tires, even if a bit slower than on a peloton-ready steed. Dipping onto a fire road that you have no idea where it goes? That’s what it’s all about.

Cycling is an aesthetically driven sport, and gravel riding is no different. While perhaps less rigid in its sartorial code than its tarmac-bound counterparts, gravel riding has a few unwritten rules to getting kitted that even the gravel curious will want to take note of. Functionality, versatility, and durability are priorities when riding gravel. On a typical ride in Vancouver, I go from warming up on road laps in Stanley Park to braving the elements high in the backwoods single track in Mount Seymour back to the city for a post-ride espresso. So yes—looking good is part of the equation. In this article we will highlight a handful of gravel gear selects and drop some style know-how, too.

But first, a quick caveat. If you’re on a bike, having fun, and being nice to the environment and those around you, you’re good to go—wear whatever you like. Being a jerk and rocking the flyest gear? Not cool. Being kind on the bike is always top priority. Style second. That said, let’s get into it.

Hans-Aschim-Gravel-Bike-Kit-Creek

The following gear has been rigorously tested over six months of riding in and around Vancouver, BC. In my testing I logged over 4,000 km on urban trails and forest roads, over mountain passes, and on single track, in sun, rain, and most recently, a snow flurry or two. As a lifelong cyclist—including a decade spent riding in New York City—I know both what to look for and what to look out for. In other words, this list of gravel grinding gear is fully vetted, tested, and approved.

7 Best Gravel Cycling Shoes, Kit and Accessories

Hans-Aschim-Gravel-Bike-Kit-Pas-Normal-1

Best Gravel Cycling Kit: Pas Normal Studios Escapism Collection

Cycling apparel of all kinds—road, gravel, mountain, commuting—have gotten undeniably cooler and simply better in recent years. From fit to materials to styling, cycling apparel is having a moment and perhaps no brand encapsulates this confluence of design, aesthetics, and culture quite as well as Copenhagen’s Pas Normal Studios. Co-founded by fashion and streetwear OG Karl-Oskar Olsen (of Danish label Wood Wood) PNS has recently collaborated with the likes of Salomon, Porter Yoshida, and Pirelli, and with the gravel-specific Escapism collection has become our go-to kit maker.

With more durable fabrics, forgiving fits, and earth toned colorways, it’s the sort of apparel that flows seamlessly within any GORP-devotees wardrobe alongside and wander, Gramicci, and Snow Peak. After eating plenty of singletrack in the Escapism bibs , I can confirm they show little to no signs of wear. And with two cargo pockets and two stash pockets in the rear, they hold enough food and layers for a full day in the backcountry. Again, speaking from experience.

While Pas Normal Studios is producing innovative apparel to perform at the highest levels of gravel and road riding, it’s the pieces that appear less technical where Olsen’s design chops really show. The Escapism collection features a short-sleeve and long-sleeve technical shirt , each masterfully capturing the style and spirit of gravel. Breathable and flowy yet durable and protective, the wool-blend tees feature strategically placed panels of nylon for increased durability and resistance from the elements. Two side zippers offer easy ventilation and improved access to bib pockets. What’s remarkable about the tech tees is the cut and placement of the seams. Even bombing down West Vancouver’s famous Cypress Bowl Road overlooking city and Howe Sound at over 70 kilometers per hour I experienced no flap and no pull as one might when riding in a loose jersey or normal tech tee. Similar to Quoc, the level of quality of every piece of Pas Normal Studios gear approaches luxury—albeit a level that yearns for dirt.

Pro Tip #1: Rocking a technical tee with bibs is yet another gravel style nuance to embrace. While close-fitting jerseys are also welcome (and come in handy if you really need the pocket space) it’s the bibs and tee combo that’s uniquely a hallmark of gravel riding. Look good, ride good!

Hans-Aschim-Gravel-Bike-Kit-PNS-Quoc-Shoes

Best Gravel Cycling Shoe: Quoc Gran Tourer XC

Every pedal stroke can be bliss or misery if your shoes aren’t dialed, and with gravel riding there’s a good chance you’ll be doing some hike-a-bike over especially spicy sections and the odd creek crossing, so footwear really counts in this category. As such, shoes with SPD or two-bolt cleat mountain-bike style shoes are best for gravel riding. Easier to clip in and out of, better for walking and hiking, and more comfortable in general.

The Quoc Gran Tourer XC is our pick, especially in the striking Dusty Pink colorway. Part of a burgeoning cottage industry of independent cycling shoe brands, the London, UK-based brand makes aesthetically driven, functional designs actually informed by life on the bike. The Gran Tourer XC is a show-stopper of a gravel shoe, with an unmatched level of craftsmanship that’s apparent from the stitching to the material to the attention to detail in the packaging and included insole accessories.

Quoc uses a proprietary dial system—rather than the industry standard BOA—for a fine-tuned fit that’s comfortable on long rides and easy to batten down for a sprint. And a toe cap featuring contrast rubber construction for improved durability. After hiking over too many boulder sections and “looked okay on the map” trails, they manage to still look fresh. Best of all, the front cleats are replaceable, so you’ll be able to tackle rough sections of trail and long walks of shame for seasons to come.

Hans-Aschim-Gravel-Bike-Kit-PNS-Bibs

Best Gravel Cycling Socks: FINGERSCROSSED Merino Socks

One can’t address shoes without considering socks, and cycling socks are a hot button issue. Socks must be worn. This isn’t a triathlon. And they must be seen. Again, not a triathlon. Sock length should be in the neighborhood of six to eight inches above the ankle and cycling or performance socks should always be worn (for functional and aesthetic purposes—sorry but rocking your cooked cotton dress socks really isn’t it). Color and coordination is a matter of preference, so we say do what you feel: be it monochromatic shoe-sock-synergy or high-contrast pops.

For high quality and considered design, Germany’s FINGERSCROSSED is leading the pack. Beloved for their sleek, paperweight road socks, the brand takes the same detail-driven approach to gravel riding. The made in Portugal Light Merino Silk socks feature a merino, silk and polyamide blend for temperature regulation, moisture-wicking, and all-day comfort. Improved ventilated around the instep means your feet won’t overheat on those spicy 24% fire road climbs. Available in a wide range of solid colors, our choice is the vibey hand-dyed Batik colorway.

Best-Gravel-Bike-Bags-Roadrunner

Best Gravel Cycling Accessories: Road Runner Bags

While freedom and exploration are the main draws of gravel riding, the reality is a day on the bike (especially one on trails) demands carrying supplies. There’s your standard bike needs: an allen key tool, tire levers, spare tube, pump, and fuel (i.e. bars and/or gels). And there’s the unique demands of gravel: extra layers, more food (you’re not going to see a 7-11 on that back road), and better food (you can only eat so many gels). That’s where the bar bag comes in.

Totally acceptable on a road bike for longer rides, but a standard piece of kit for gravel. I especially like the simplicity and quality construction of Road Runner Bags. Handmade in Los Angeles, the designs are user-friendly and the materials premium. The Burrito Bag easily holds the essentials, fits snugly to the bike and doesn’t bounce. And for the need-to-have tool, tube and tire levers, the Saddle Roll stays put and you’ll forget it’s even there.

Alba-Optics-Stratos-Cycling-Glasses

Best Eyewear for Gravel Cycling: Alba Optics Stratos

Eyewear isn’t optional for gravel riding, Obviously there’s the glaring sun you’ll want protection from. But clock a few clicks on backroads and you’ll quickly see why a sturdy pair of shades with a few lens options are worth investing in. Bugs, rocks, mud, and lots of dirt dust if you’re riding with a pal—it all has a way of getting in your face on a gravel ride. Impaired vision is an annoyance at moderate speeds and an outright recipe for disaster at full speeds.

With adjustability, protection, and full-on Italian disco vibes, the Alba Stratos is a pair of shades that moves from the bike to café to the club. The Milan-based brand opted for a fully unobstructed lens that makes for a notably clear view of the trail even in low light. Swapping lenses takes less than a minute and for bespectacled riders, there’s a nifty prescription insert.

Pro Tip #2: The arms of one’s glasses always go over the helmet straps. This edict from on-high in the road world extends to gravel. And it’s more than a style thing, there’s a safety component. In the event of a crash, with your eyewear arms over your helmet straps, your glasses will fly away on impact. However, if your glasses are next to your face with your helmet straps pulled over the top, during a crash your glasses could pose a risk to your eyes. Yes that means looking safe and looking cool are one in the same.

Hans-Aschim-Gravel-Bike-Kit-Pas-Normal-2

Best Helmet for Gravel Cycling: Sweet Protection Falconer Aero 2Vi Mips

Last but furthest from least is the helmet. Falling is a part of any discipline of bicycle riding. It’s not if, it’s when. This is truly the most important piece of gear and you should never let concerns of looks or style get in the way of wearing one. Buy the helmet you want. And get a new one often. After any crash or major impact (that includes a hefty drop in the parking lot) a helmet should be replaced. Even without an impact, a helmet should be replaced every three to five years—and more frequently if you ride a lot as sweat and atmospheric exposure (those UV rays aren’t just hard on you skin) can begin to break down crucial structural materials over time.

While any helmet is better than no helmet, for performance sake avoid mountain bike helmets for grave riding. They’re typically heavier and vent less than road or gravel-specific helmets. A Specialized S-Works may be the rich guy go-to (can’t blame em tbh), the Falconer Aero from Norway’s Sweet Protection our top pick. It’s incredibly lightweight at 300 grams and fits close and comfortable without any hotspots. Stylish, aero, and light—this is the rare helmet you’ll actually look forward to riding in.

Hans-Aschim-Gravel-Bike-Kit-Road-Runner-Bag

Best GPS Unit for Gravel Riding: Hammerhead Karoo 2

File this under semi-optional. Gravel riding involves stitching together roads, trails, fire roads, paths, and whatever else looks fun to ride. Sometimes even a bit of “Sorry I didn’t see the private property sign” exploring is needed to get the best riding experience. As such, a bar-mounted GPS headunit isn’t essential, but it will absolutely be helpful—no phone-checking required. The Hammerhead Karoo 2 is the explorer’s headunit of choice. The large color screen is easy to follow, there’s a handy hill climb tool that shows the profile of a climb and tells you of upcoming elevation, and on-the-fly route building. While small and mighty, the Karoo 2’s navigational capabilities inspire the most important aspect of gravel riding: dipping off one’s route to see where that other line on the map goes.

And that’s it. Remember, respect your fellow cyclists, hikers, and nature lovers. Respect the trails and terrain you travel on. And have fun. After all, a bicycle is the ultimate freedom machine. Never forget it!

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Best gravel race bikes 2024 | Top-rated gravel bikes built for speed

Speedy gravel bikes for fast riding and racing

Felix Smith / Our Media

Paul Norman

Gravel is diverging and the best gravel race bikes are designed to go fast off-road, whether in competition or just because you want to ride that bit faster and are not tackling terrain that's too technical.

They are also a good option if you mix road and light gravel riding , because they enable you to keep up a good pace on roads but provide more off-road capability than the best endurance road bikes .

Whereas the best gravel bikes include many all-rounders, there are also bikepacking bikes geared towards loaded off-road travel and gravel bikes designed to tackle more technical terrain.

Gravel race bikes are a different beast. They may lack some of the mounts for bottles, bags and mudguards usually found on gravel bikes. Their geometry tends to be low and racy, and designs increasingly take many of the features of the best aero road bikes , but adapt them to the off-road environment.

Tyre clearance may be lower than on other gravel bikes too, although it will usually still be greater than that of the best road bikes .

Here's our pick of the best gravel race bikes we've reviewed at BikeRadar and some other gravel race bikes to consider.

Later, there's more info on what defines a gravel race bike and what to look for when choosing a fast gravel bike.

Best gravel race bikes in 2024

Canyon grail cfr di2.

Canyon Grail CFR Di2.

  • £6,699/€6,999/AU$10,599 as tested
  • Pros: Calm and confident; well-designed storage; adaptable
  • Cons: Slightly fragile tyres; mounts for regular mudguards would be preferable

In October 2023, Canyon released an updated version of its Grail, transformed from a do-it-all gravel bike to a gravel race bike.

Jack Luke describes it as one of the best-handling gravel bikes he has ever ridden, proving surefooted at speed without being dull on slower terrain, and with a geometry that's suited to its racing intentions.

The bike comes with integrated down-tube storage, which is genuinely useful. It features a suite of accessories, including a frame bag and quick-release mudguards, elevating it above the competition and adding versatility.

On this build, the tyres are slightly fragile, but that is befitting for a gravel race bike.

  • Read our full Canyon Grail CFR Di2 review

Lauf Seigla Weekend Warrior

lauf seigla in the snow

  • £3,890/$3,990/€3,790 as tested
  • Pros: Added comfort from Grit fork, great geometry, big clearance
  • Cons: MTB-spaced bottom bracket limits crankset choice, some bobbing when climbing

The Lauf Seigla's distinguishing feature is the Lauf Grit gravel suspension fork . This adds 30mm of front-end travel that, along with the frame compliance, helps significantly with ride comfort.

The fork bobs a little when climbing, but adds composure to descending. The bike is 1x-only and uses an MTB bottom bracket shell width, which means crankset options are limited, although this does offer space for 700c wheels with tyres up to 2.25in.

  • Read our full Lauf Seigla Weekend Warrior review

Vielo V 1 Strato SRAM Rival AXS XPLR

Vielo V 1 Strato SRAM Rival AXS XPLR gravel bike

  • £5,299 as tested
  • Pros: Great looks, wide clearance, fast ride
  • Cons: 1x-only, some seatpost slippage

The geometry of the Vielo V 1 Strato and the frame weight are close to a road bike, but there's space for 700c or 650b 50mm tyres. Along with a compliant frameset, that adds plenty of smoothing of jarring surfaces.

The bike has a great aesthetic and finish, and is purpose-designed for 1x drivetrains . Despite its road-like performance, the Vielo V 1 Strato is comfortable thanks to wide tyres that help to fend off surface vibrations.

  • Read our full Vielo V 1 Strato review

3T Exploro RaceMax

3T Exploro RaceMax

  • £3,849 as tested
  • Pros: Versatile; aerodynamics tuned for gravel riding
  • Cons: Stiff ride; expensive for the spec offered

The 3T Exploro was an oddity when it was launched: "why does a gravel bike need to be aero?" people asked.

Now aero features are normal on the best gravel race bikes, but the 3T Exploro RaceMax is still an option that offers a fast ride and plenty of versatility. You can fit 700c wheels , although you're then limited to 35mm tyres. Swap to 650b wheels and clearance balloons to 57mm though. You can also go either 1x or 2x.

It's also stiff and responsive, which is good for gravel racing, although you're paying extra for the bike's rarity.

  • Read our full 3T Exploro RaceMax review

Basso Palta

Basso Palta Disc Ekar gravel bike

  • £5,199/$7,560/€5,164 as tested
  • Pros: Agile lightweight frame; fast ride on smooth gravel
  • Cons: Not the grip for muddier off-road

Basso is on its third fast gravel bike design with the Palta. It has the looks of an Italian race bike, sporting a stylish, slender, light aero frame with 45mm tyre clearance and concealed cabling.

The Palta frame weighs just 960g, while the skinny fork is even lighter at 270g. A build with lighter components should yield a significantly lower weight than the 8.7kg of the size XL test bike.

Clever details include mini-tools inside the thru-axles, while we rated the finish quality. Geometry is between fast endurance and gravel, and the frame is stiff and responsive, lending itself to fast riding on firmer ground.

  • Read our full Basso Palta review

Canyon Grail CF SL 7.0

Canyon Grail CF with Hover bar

  • £2,649/$2,699 as tested
  • Pros: Excellent spec, novel bar design does work
  • Cons: Non-aero frameset, bars bring fit issues

At the bottom end of Canyon's carbon fibre Grail range, the CF SL 7.0 has racy looks and ride position, and clearance for tyres up to 40mm.

As with all of Canyon's bikes, the spec of the Grail CF SL 7.0 is first-rate value, with 2x Shimano GRX mechanical shifting and quality DT Swiss wheels. We've also reviewed the even more nicely equipped Grail CF8.0 SL eTap if you're looking to spend more.

The double-decker bars divide opinion and the one-piece cockpit removes adjustability, but the suspended bar tops really do work to stamp out gravel chatter.

  • Read our full Canyon Grail CF SL 7.0 review
  • Read our full Canyon Grail CF8.0 SL eTap review

Cervélo Áspero Rival XPLR eTap AXS 1 Disc

Cervélo Áspero Rival XPLR Etap AXS 1 disc gravel bike

  • £5,500/$5,500/€5,700 as tested
  • Pros: Lightweight, agile and fast
  • Cons: Stiff frameset; pricey

The Áspero carries Cervélo's aero road bike expertise to a gravel race bike, with a stiff frame that leads to fast progress on smoother gravel, although the stiffness does make bumpier terrain a little tiring.

We reviewed the lower-spec frame Áspero, but the newer Áspero 5 ups the ante with an integrated cockpit and aero seatpost.

Both bikes get a fork with an adjustable dropout, so you can fit 650b wheels in place of 700c without affecting the geometry or the ride quality.

  • Read our full Cervélo Áspero Rival XPLR eTap AXS 1 Disc review

Pinarello Grevil F

Pinarello Grevil F gravel bike

  • £5,300/$6,500/€6,100 as tested
  • Pros: Racy geometry; stable at speed; big tyre clearance
  • Cons: Low wheel spec for the price

Another bike with a design that's spilled over from the road, in this case the Dogma F raced by Team Ineos, the Grevil F has Pinarello's distinctive asymmetric frame, but adds the space to fit 50mm tyres.

The bike includes a one-piece cockpit with internal cable routing, and is fast and stable to ride. We were disappointed the Grevil F didn't come with higher-spec wheels, though; you'll need to factor in the cost of a new carbon gravel bike wheelset to get the best out of the Grevil F.

  • Read our full Pinarello Grevil F review

Scott Addict Gravel 30

Pack shot of the Scott Addict Gravel 30 bike

  • £2,600/$3,000/€3,000/AU$4,500 as tested
  • Pros: Very fast-riding; aero design; plenty of integration
  • Cons: Heavy wheelset; not so good on more techy terrain

Scott's base for the Addict Gravel is yet another pro road race bike, the Addict RC . It includes many of the features of that bike, with an aero frame and the same integration and internal cable routing.

The ride position isn't quite as low as the Addict RC, although it's more aggressive than many gravel bikes, and there's clearance for 45mm tyres.

The bike is a very fast ride on open, straight gravel roads, but not so good once it gets technical. An upgrade to the wheels could remove significant weight.

  • Read our full Scott Addict Gravel 30 review

Specialized S-Works Crux

Specialized S-Works Crux

  • £11,300/$12,250/€12,500/AU$18,000 as tested
  • Pros: Super-light 7.3kg build; wide tyre clearance
  • Cons: Very expensive; very stiff; not so good when it gets technical

The Specialized S-Works Crux weighs less than many road bikes, but doesn't sacrifice on frame stiffness, leading to a bike that flies over smoother gravel, climbs superbly and is agile, although it's not so good on rough terrain and technical descents.

Nevertheless, you can fit 650b wheels with 2.1inch tyres, which might smooth things out. Above all, the Crux is for racing, although the external cabling may lose you a few watts over an integrated cockpit. It's hugely expensive for a bike that's going to get dirty.

  • Read our full Specialized S-Works Crux review

Specialized Diverge STR Expert

Specialized Diverge STR Expert gravel bike review BikeRadar

  • £7,500/$7,500/€7,550 as tested
  • Pros: Lots of saddle comfort; versatile
  • Cons: Fiddly setup; low-value spec

The Diverge STR adds rear suspension to the Future Shock front suspension of the standard Diverge , for a bike that offers plenty of rider comfort. Add to that a geometry that's good for a variety of off-road action, including gravel racing, and you've got a bike with plenty of versatility.

The setup process for the rear end is fiddly though and the expense of the frame's design means you get a mediocre spec for the bike's price. The odd looks may put some off as well.

  • Read our full Specialized Diverge STR Expert review

Also consider...

Bmc kaius 01 one.

BMC Kaius ONE 01 gravel bike

  • £11,300/$12,000/€11,500 as tested
  • Pros: Very fast on easier gravel and the road
  • Cons: Expensive; harsh ride on more difficult terrain

Even more expensive than the Specialized Crux, the BMC Kaius has the gravel racing palmares, with Pauline Ferrand-Prévot winning the inaugural women's gravel world championship on the bike.

As you'd expect then, it's fast. It's also light, stiff and aero, with a geometry that's akin to a road bike. That leads to road-bike like speeds on easier surfaces, but the ride turns quite brutal and becomes difficult to tame on more technical terrain.

  • Read our full BCM Kaius 01 One review

Factor Ostro Gravel

Factor Ostro Gravel bike

  • £9,500/$9,900 as tested
  • Pros: Rapid; stiff; responsive
  • Cons: Firm ride; road-bike like geometry

Another road-bike derived fast aero gravel bike, the Factor Ostro Gravel inherits a responsive road-bike like geometry and a firm ride from the Ostro VAM pro-level road race bike. The frame has a claimed 900g weight, making it one of the lightest gravel race frames available, but there's still space for 45mm tyres.

The road bike heritage of the Ostro Gravel makes for a fast ride, even over poor surfaces, and it handles jarring hits well. A common theme for gravel race bikes, the Ostro Gravel soon comes adrift on more technical trails though.

  • Read our full Factor Ostro Gravel review

Buyer's guide to gravel race bikes

What is a gravel race bike.

Ivar Slick's Unbound Wilier Rave SLR

As its name suggests, a gravel race bike is designed to go fast and beat the competition.

Gravel racing is taking off worldwide and is particularly popular in the States, where there are plentiful roads that haven't seen tarmac.

Many gravel races cover really long distances; the flagship gravel race, Unbound , which takes place in East Kansas, is 200 miles long, but it offers distances up to 352 miles for the determined.

That calls for bikes that are fast, but also offer wide clearances for wider tyres and enough comfort for a race longer than 10 hours. Gravel race bikes often don't take quite such wide tyres as other gravel bikes, however.

Aerodynamics also come into play, so the best gravel race bikes increasingly offer aero frames.

Features including extra mounting points are often sacrificed in favour of a faster ride.

Gravel race bike geometry

BMC Kaius ONE 01 gravel bike

The frame geometry of a gravel race bike often approaches that of a fast road bike. As with a road race bike, with the rider contributing much of the air resistance, a long and low ride position can add an extra turn of speed.

The frame angles may be more relaxed than a road race bike though, with the head tube angle and fork trail in particular lowered to add more stability. Although gravel racers are riding fast, they need the ability to tackle obstacles and descend with confidence.

Look through our reviews above of the best gravel race bikes and you'll find the compromises from the road-like geometry manifest themselves in repeated reports of bumpy rides and awkward handling on harder terrain. Gravel race bikes often forego comfort and balance in favour of speed.

If you're okay with that, fine. But if not, take a look at our wider picks of the best gravel bikes for something that's less compromised on technical trails.

Gravel race bike components

Factor Ostro Gravel bike

Gravel race bikes often borrow features from the best aero road bikes . That includes front-end integration, with many gravel race bikes featuring one-piece aero cockpits.

These may be faster, but they do remove adjustability, so you need to make sure you're comfortable with the bar/stem's reach, width, drop, flare and hand position when buying. A change can be expensive.

Cables and hoses are increasingly disappearing into the bars, stem and frame as well. With all the major groupset brands now offering wireless links from the shifters to the derailleurs, it's usually only the brake hoses that need to be routed through the frame.

Many gravel bike racers opt for clip-on aerobars to add another ride position, that's lower and gives their hands a rest. These were banned for elite competitors at the 2023 Unbound Gravel, but if you think you might want to use them, make sure you can find a set that will fit to your bars.

With aero frames come aero wheels, so most gravel race bikes are equipped with aero gravel wheels. If a bike doesn't come ready-fitted with them, prepare to spend extra on a set of the best gravel wheels .

The best gravel bike tyres for gravel racing are likely to be lighter in weight, faster-rolling and with less beefy treads. That's fine if everything is dry and solid, but can catch you out if your race includes prolonged muddier sections or it's been raining.

As with cyclocross races , be prepared to swap out your tyres for a set appropriate for the conditions. Consider running a mixed set, which might give you a good balance of grip and speed.

Gravel race bike gearing

SRAM Red XPLR 1x crankset on a Canyon Grizl gravel bike

If you're riding at close to road bike speeds a lot of the time in a gravel race, your gearing needs to offer enough top-end to keep that up at a manageable cadence .

Gravel races often include more technical sections and ascents though, so low gears are also important. As with other gravel bikes, gravel race bike gearing may go below 1:1 to help you keep riding.

This means the best gravel race bikes usually offer a wide spread of gears from a gravel bike groupset such as Shimano GRX or SRAM's X-Range gearing. You may find a compact 50/34t crankset in place of the super-compact cranksets more usual on all-rounder gravel bikes.

Don't assume all gravel races take place over smooth, mud-free surfaces either. Returning to Unbound 2023, a muddy section close to the start led to many riders having to dismount and clear their drivetrains and wheels.

A 1x setup may offer fewer gears than a double-chainring groupset, but it covers much the same range and should help avoid some of the clogging issues of a 2x groupset, maybe providing a winning advantage.

Therefore, 1x setups such as SRAM XPLR are a popular choice on gravel race bikes. They may be more aero too. Some competitors run aero single chainrings for an extra turn of speed.

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Gravel guide to Girona – one of the best places in Europe for some off-road miles in spring

Tired of wet, muddy trails? Why not hop over to the gravel-riding mecca of Girona and check out the near-endless dusty trails and fantastic bike-friendly culture?

Bike rider in front of cathedral in Girona

Bike choice

Kit essentials, must-ride trails, sleeping and eating, off-the-bike activities, weather conditions, getting there.

Girona, a picturesque city in Catalonia, Spain, has been a popular place for professional road cyclists for a while now with its quiet roads, proximity to the mountains and international airports, and charming medieval architecture. As with many Mediterranean countries, unpaved rural roads are just “a thing” – a very beautiful thing at that which has turned the area into a real gravel hotspot. There are farm tracks, hunting trails, and forestry roads crisscrossing the area, offering a vast range of routes and gradients to ride.

The off-season training camp has been a staple for road riders for a long time, and although it doesn't sound like it fits the spirit of gravel (whatever that is), in truth, for all but professional bike racers, it's just an excuse to ride your bike in the sunshine with your mates at a time of year when back home it's still dark for the majority of the day and your trails are underwater.

Bike on bridge in Girona with river and buildings behind

Girona's trails and dirt roads offer various terrain and riding surfaces, From 15-kilometer climbs to flat gravel roads, fire roads to sweeping singletrack there is something to suit everyone. The trails range from rocky and rooty to sandy, muddy, and most importantly largely dry. As with anywhere close to proper mountains, it rains occasionally, though this makes the riding even better by keeping the dust down and increasing grip levels. 

The choice of possible routes is huge, but the Els Metges route is a real highlight with a good mix of terrain over 70km with a lunch stop at the Els Metges restaurant at the 28km point and a final cafe stop at Madremanya 41km in. It takes in the Gavarres forest and a great mix of wide gravel tracks, forest tracks, and even an old railway line with 800m of elevation gain. It's a testing but rewarding route that should take around four hours to complete, though how long you spend enjoying the Catalan hospitality is up to you.

If you're looking for a true classic, the Mieres loop could be just the ticket. It's only 10km further, but with over 1,600m of vertical gain, it is considerably tougher and takes over five hours to complete for most riders. The route takes in the imposing Rocacorba, which is well known in the road world as a tough climb that many pros use for training, but this route takes the more challenging gravel option instead of the smooth asphalt topping out at 753 meters above sea level. There's no fancy lunch stop on this route, though you can refill your bottles at a fountain or font at the church of Sant Esteve at the 27km, or you can have a pit stop in the village of Mieres en route.

Guided riding

If planning your routes and a bit of exploring sounds a bit daunting there are plenty of local bike shops, cafes, and holiday companies like eatsleepcycle or lafabricagirona offering guided rides and help with anything you may need. Local knowledge can make a massive difference to how your trip goes, whether that's helping to plan a route based on your abilities or fitness, the lowdown on the local trail conditions, or simply the best spots for a cafe stop. 

Bike in front of tables and chairs in front of window of coffee shop

Making the most of your time

If you use your winter retreat as a training camp or just a chance to improve your fitness, then it's worth planning your time effectively. It is all too easy to get carried away on your first day, riding too far and fast, then spend the rest of your week tired and lacking the energy to make the most of the never-ending gravel trails.

Use your first day to build your bike, go for a short shakedown ride to check everything's working as it should, and ride into the old town to grab a coffee and check out your surroundings. Maybe even pop into a few of the local shops to find out what group rides are happening that week and what trails are running the best.

Leave your longest and hardest rides till a few days into your trip; your legs will be warmed up to longer distances, and you will have a much better time riding if you are not trying to recover from previous efforts. Also, pay attention to how you fuel your body and avoid calorie deficits. A week of riding is not the time to try and drop a few pounds. Instead, ensure you eat a suitable amount of carbohydrates during the day and try to include protein in your evening meals to help your muscles recover for the next day's ride.

A gravel bike is the ideal choice, with 700c wheels and at least 35mm, but preferably 40-45mm wide rubber, being the perfect all-rounder for exploring the area. You can choose a fast gravel bike like the Argon Dark Matter or the Ribble Gravel Ti Pro , or something more comfortable and adventure-based like the Cotic Cascade for multi-day, go-anywhere adventures.

The area is littered with steep climbs, so low gearing is advised. A 38-40t chainring and a wide-range cassette with at least 11-42, preferably up to 46 or 50, would be ideal. Sitting and spinning a low gear is a real benefit on loose gravel climbs, especially if you plan on riding consecutive days with tired legs.

Bike up against a wall

Obviously, the kit you take with you depends on the kind of riding you plan to do, but as well as standard riding gear (jerseys, gloves, shoes, etc) we recommend the below so you're covered for all eventualities.

  • XC or gravel helmet: A well-vented road or XC helmet is ideal
  • Clothing: Comfortable gravel bib shorts and jersey with good wicking properties, as well as a packable waterproof and arm warmers
  • Eyewear: Tinted, vented sunglasses are a necessity, and they also help to keep dust from your eyes
  • Suncream: Sweat-resistant SPF50
  • Nutrition: Try high-calorie bars and gels or some bocadillo from the many local bakeries. Energy products are great, but sometimes, regular food is hard to beat, so don't forget to plan in at least one cafe stop
  • Repair and maintenance: A comprehensive multi-tool , tire plug kit , spare inner tubes, spare brake pads, and brake fluid. Remember your chamois cream too, it's a must-have on multi-day rides

Ribble Collective rider Joe Laverick has been a Girona resident for over three years now.

Like many, he was drawn here as a professional road cyclist but was soon lured to the world of gravel, no doubt helped by the buoyant local gravel riding scene. When I asked what his top choice for a route would be, he said, “To be honest, there are so many I tend not to have a favorite. Instead, I like to go explore and get lost, usually in the Gavarres area.”

Two riders on gravel road with trees behind

The local cuisine mixes Mediterranean and Catalan influences, with everything from local cake shops selling Xuixo pastries to fine dining at the world-renowned Michelin star El Celler de Can Roca restaurant. 

The El Lleó marketplace in the city center is the ideal place to visit after a long day exploring the trails. With over 60 stalls selling a vast range of local produce, it is the perfect place to refuel.

Two hands exchanging coins above a fruit market stall

Of course, the usual hotel chains in and around Girona offer accommodation, but there are also plenty of other more interesting options available. Those on a budget could check out the youth hostels and hostelries , or those looking for something a bit more relaxed might like some of the rural agritourism options. Check out Girona's tourist information site for all the options.

Girona will suit you well if you like good restaurants and enjoy European cafe culture. With its majestic old town, home to narrow streets, medieval architecture, and a range of museums and places to eat and drink, it is a worthy city break location on its own, regardless of the fantastic riding on offer.

Having been around for over 2,000 years, the town has plenty of history to explore. Whether you are checking out the Força Vella or the Medieval Quarter, there is lots to see. The old Jewish Quarter, or Call, is a particular highlight with its stunning streets, porticoed squares, exuberant Baroque spaces, and Noucentisme-style buildings designed by architect Rafael Masó.

Buildings of Girona with mountains in background

Girona enjoys a Mediterranean climate, with mild winters and hot summers. During the winter months, temperatures typically range from 10°C to 15°C (50°F to 59°F), making it ideal for gravel riding without extreme cold or heat.

One of the reasons Girona became such a hotspot for professional riders is its great transport connections. Girona-Costa Brava airport is close by, and the larger Barcelona-El Prat airport is an hour away, with 25 trains running from there to Girona each day. Both airports offer a vast range of flight options, and as they are both popular destinations, prices are relatively cheap, too.

Those of you already in mainland Europe can take advantage of Spain's great high-speed rail network and keep your carbon footprint low with fast trains running from Barcelona to Girona and connections across the continent from there.

For more information, check out Girona.cat .

Neal Hunt

Neal has been riding bikes of all persuasions for over 20 years and has had a go at racing most of them to a pretty average level across the board. From town center criteriums to the Megavalanche and pretty much everything in between. Neal has worked in the bicycle industry his entire working life, from starting out as a Saturday lad at the local bike shop to working for global brands in a variety of roles; he has built an in-depth knowledge and love of all things tech. Based in Sheffield, UK, he can be found riding the incredible local trails on a wide variety of bikes whenever he can 

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Memento Cycles’ First-Place Philly Bike Expo Gravel Bike

Gramm Grill Bag

Previous Dispatch From Wed Mar 20, 2024

Introducing the Gramm Grill Bag

Author Photo

Earlier this week, Éliane Trudeau and Ronny Perez Jaramillo of Memento Cycles took first place in the People’s Choice category at the 2024 Philly Bike Expo with the stunning “Heart” gravel bike. Find a brief recap from Éliane plus photos and build details from both Memento bikes on display here…

A huge congrats goes out to Éliane Trudeau and Ronny Perez Jaramillo of Memento Cycles from Montréal, Canada, who took first place at the 2024 Philly Bike Expo this week, as voted by the attendees. Éliane and Ronny have been in business for just two years and took the event by storm, showcasing two stunning bicycles that garnered a lot of worthy attention.

The winning bike is a triple triangle 650B gravel bike complete with curvy heart-shaped front rack and several other clever details. Éliane also had a cargo bike on display, finished off with a webbing cargo platform, Memento-made handlebars, 26 x 2.4″ / 20 x 2.2″ tires, and a 12-speed drivetrain. Find photos of both bikes, a brief recap from Éliane, and details on her bikes below.

Memento Cycles Heart Gravel Bike

Words by Éliane Trudeau , show photos by Firespire Photography

The bike is really dear to me, since it is a tribute to the LGBTQ community, and especially to trans people in the cycling industry. The color combination was curated to fit the trans flag colors. The centerpiece of the bike, the integrated rack, as a heart-shaped stopper that represents love and acceptance for trans people in the cycling world. Since I started my transition two years ago, it’s been really important to me to be able to be a strong voice and public figure for trans awareness. It’s especially important nowadays, with all the setbacks on trans rights in the US.

memento cycles 2024 philly bike expo

  • 650B wheels with 2.2″ super yummy tires by Panaracer, built by C&L Cycles in Montreal
  • Cranks by Appleman Bicycles
  • 11-speed drivetrain with SRAM derailleur, chain, and shifter
  • Brooks Cambium C17 saddle
  • RockShox Reverb dropper seatpost
  • Wolf Tooth headset and seat clamp
  • Salsa 50cm drop bars
  • Shimano disc brakes (flat-mount in the back and ISO in the front)

memento cycles 2024 philly bike expo

The frame also has a handful features that I love to put in frames when I can, including a triple triangle, a double seatstay bridge trapping the hourglass eyelet, and an extra curved tube between the top tube and downtube. It also has internal routing for the rear derailleur and rear brake. Both wheels are also thru-axle. It was made using oversized tubes, notably a 47mm headtube and 42mm downtube. The bike was made using a mix of Columbus Cromor and Zona tubing and some straight 4130 chromoly tubes.

Both my business partner Ronny Perez Jaramillo and I worked really hard on this bike and the cargo we brought to the expo to make sure we left a big mark on the event. We both weld, and I take care of the business and marketing side while he takes care of conception of jigs and parts.

Memento Cycles Cargo Bike

Words by Éliane Trudeau , studio photos by Brad Quartuccio

We’ve been working on this one for over a month, making sure to add extraordinary details and features to make it the coolest cargo frame ever made. We started it all with a wishbone paired with a triple triangle. It is our first frame with a wishbone, so we wanted to make it truly unique. The frame also has a yoke, allowing it to clear an amazing 26″ x 3″ tire. There are absolutely no limits to this one. As if it wasn’t enough already, we bent that 42mm downtube in-house, added a double top tube, and made a unique “M” shaped stopper for the platform, which is huge, by the way.

Memento Cycles Cargo Bike, Philly Bike Expo 2024

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How to explore Moscow in 1 day on 2 wheels: 5 cycling routes

Riding a bike from a city public bike rental station along the embankment of Muzeon Arts Park.

Riding a bike from a city public bike rental station along the embankment of Muzeon Arts Park.

Moscow cycling routes. / Stepan Zharky

Along the moskva river - 29km.

Nagatinskaya Embankment – Red Square – Taynitsky Garden - Kremlin Embankment - Cathedral of Christ the Savior – Luzhniki – The Alley of Fame - Krasnaya Presnya Park - Moscow International Business Center ( Moscow City )

Stepan Zharky

This scenic route along the embankment of the Moskva River will take you away from the city’s infamous traffic. Start at Nagatinskaya Embankment, one of the most beautiful in the capital due to the fascinating architecture dotted along it.

Cycle onto Novospassky Bridge and cross onto the other side of the embankment before riding over to Ustinsky Bridge. Jump off your bike and take the stairs down.

Once on level ground, pedal past two of Moscow’s most iconic landmarks - Red Square and the Cathedral of Christ the Savior - then on to Luzhniki.

Follow signs to the Novodevichya and Savvinskaya Embankments.

Ride in the direction of Smolenskaya and Krasnopresnenskaya Metro stations and you’ll eventually reach the Moscow International Business Center (Moscow City) and its stunning array of skyscrapers.

Soviet grandeur - 13km

VDNKh - Moscow Botanical Garden of Academy of Sciences - Rock Garden - Ostankino Park - Ostankino Palace

Stepan Zharky

If the sights and sounds of the city center are wearing you down, head to VDNKh. It’s a unique park, rich in history and architecture. The complex includes more than 500 permanent structures and 49 of them are objects of cultural heritage. Cycle through the park before arriving at the Moscow Botanical Garden of Academy of Sciences, right next to VDNKh. Then follow signs to the Rock Garden, also referred as the Moscow’s “stone jungle.”

Ostankino Park is the next stop and it’s known for its wide avenues, ponds, and lush greenery. Cycle a little further and you’ll come to some beautiful examples of 17th and 18th century architecture. Ostankino Palace is a unique Russian monument made entirely of wood and amazingly it’s retained its original interiors.

Bright lights, big city - 12km

Moscow International Business Center ( Moscow City ) - Radisson Royal Hotel (Hotel Ukraine) - Square of Europe – Observation deck - Ministry of Foreign Affairs  - Arbat Street – Red Square

Stepan Zharky

Try this route at night and you'll be blown away. The Russian capital is a city of contrasts: Set off from the Taras Shevchenko Embankment and soak up the striking modernity of Moscow City before cruising past the classical, Stalinist magnificence of the Hotel Ukraine.

Pass by both the Berezhkovskaya and Vorobyevskaya Embankments and take a break on the observation deck at Sparrow Hills. From here you can see all of the Seven Sisters skyscrapers. Next, ride on down to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and then to Arbat Street, which will lead you to an unforgettable view of the Kremlin and Red Square.

Right in the capital’s heart - 9km

Rozhdestvensky Boulevard - Tsvetnoy Boulevard - Strastnoy Boulevard - Novopushkinskiy square - Tverskaya Street - New Arbat Avenue - Patriarch Ponds - Garden Ring - Moscow Hermitage Garden

Stepan Zharky

This route takes you right through the heart of the city center. Glide past some of Moscow’s most iconic sights. Start at Pushkin Square and bike over to the Government of Moscow building. Then head to New Arbat Avenue and take a rest at Patriarch Ponds. Visit the Bulgakov Museum and take a look at the Moscow Satire Theater and Mossovet Theater. Continue biking towards Sadovo-Trimfalnyy Square and follow the signs to Moscow’s Hermitage Garden. Here you can enjoy a cool beer in the shade.

Chistyye Prudy to Sokolniki Park - 7km

Ustyinsky  Square -  Chistyye  Prudy - Sretensky Boulevard - Sovremennik Theater - Komsomolskaya Square - Sokolniki Park

Stepan Zharky

This route starts off at the Ustinsky Bridge that stretches over Moskva River. After enjoying the beautiful views bike northeast to Yauzsky Boulevard, continue onto Pokrovsky Boulevard, and then cycle to Chistoprudny Boulevard. Your first stop will be Chistyye Prudy – a park in the city center surrounding a charming pond and pavilion. There are a number of sculptures and monuments here that have been glorified countless times in both literary and musical works.

Once you’ve had your fill of Moscow’s “green island,” pedal in the direction of Turgenevskaya Metro - you’ll end up at Academician Sakharov Avenue. Then continue to Komsomolskaya Metro followed by Rusakovskaya Street. Turn left and follow signs to one of the city’s most bike-friendly parks: Sokolniki.

Read more:  Wheels of change: Russia’s cycling revolution gathers speed

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The 6 Best Things We Saw at Philly Bike Expo

Our editors’ favorite cool, new, and interesting bikes and gear from the 2024 Philly Bike Expo

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While smaller in scale than other American bike shows like Made or Sea Otter Classic , Philly Bike Expo has an energetic vibe and doesn’t feel overwhelming. The Expo’s pairing of seminars, info from bicycle advocacy groups, and activities for kids meant there was something for every type of cyclist.

Bicycling ’s editors roamed PBE’s aisles, checked out bikes and gear, and caught up with small builders, old friends, and fellow cyclists. While it seemed some brands and builders were holding back on their big product reveals until next month’s Sea Otter Classic event in Monterey, California, plenty of cool new bikes and gear were on display in Philadelphia.

Memento Cycles Heart

memento heart bike

One of our favorite bikes (and winner of 2024’s Philly Bike Expo People's Choice Award) was Memento Cycles’ Heart. The creation of Montreal, Quebec-based duo Éliane Trudeau and Ronny Perez Jaramillo, this gorgeous metallic pink-painted bike was the talk of every PBE attendee. But the Heart is notable for more than only its paint. The Heart’s custom rack, triple triangle frame, and aesthetic touches (like the trans flag anodized headset spacers and custom head badge) showed the builders’ passion and love for bikes.

LaMarche Bike Co. Town & Country

lemarche town and country bike

There were many wonderful handmade bikes at the Philly Bike Expo this year, but this Town & Country model from LaMarche Bike Co. (on display at the Brooks stand) was Test Editor Dan Chabanov ’s favorite. Don’t let the “Co.” at the end of the brand name fool you; Tom LaMarche is a one-man frame shop. And LaMarche consistently produces beautifully designed and impeccably fabricated frames. But unlike many builders, LaMarche also welds his own forks. This example uses a traditional unicrown design—check his Instagram to see his gorgeous segmented creations.

Wolf Tooth Aero Gravel Chainring

wolf tooth aero ring

Wolf Tooth started in 2013 with a singular focus on one product: the 1x chainring. Over a decade later, its product catalog is much more expansive, but chainrings are still a core product for the brand and one that sees continuous improvement— the new Aero Rings for GRX cranks are a perfect example. The new rings are designed for gravel racing and are only offered in aggressively large sizes (46T to 52T, in two-tooth increments) in round ($105) or oval ($110) variants. The rings are designed to fit seamlessly with Shimano’s GRX crankset. Wolf Tooth does not make any specific aerodynamic claims about the rings, but they certainly look fast.

wolf tooth aero ring

Wolf Tooth’s website currently does not show Aero Rings for SRAM cranks, but perhaps that will change soon. We spied a Scarab gravel bike in the Wolf Tooth booth with an SRAM direct-mount Aero Ring.

EVT Field Unit

evt field unit stand

Unveiled at Philly Bike Expo (and already with a waitlist), the EVT Field Unit was Deputy Editor Tara Seplavy ’s favorite new product at the show. Known for its sturdy, professional-grade bicycle stands and clamps, Washougal, Washington-based Efficient Velo Tools paired up with accessory brand Minoura for the Field Unit. The $600 repair stand features EVT’s all-steel Right Arm Clamp and a robust aluminum-tubed stand (without any load-bearing plastic). The Field Unit is made in Japan and supports bikes up to 79 pounds. With its heavy-duty construction, we expect the Field Unit to pop up at many bike events, demo days, and races in the coming months.

Vicious Cycles Rabbit Fighter

vicious cycles

With its unique paint and clean lines, the Rabbit Fighter was Bicycling Maintenance and Repair Editor Gabe Ortiz ’s favorite bike at Philly Bike Expo. When not welding frames under the Vicious name, longtime builder Carl “Snarl” Schlemowitz runs Metal Guru . The New Paltz, New York-based company offers a range of classes, programs, and seminars on welding, design, and finishing for frame builders—from first-timers to professionals. Metal Guru is a great resource if you want to learn how to build a frame and where several small frame builders got their start.

Industry Nine Solix Hubs

i9 hub

North Carolina-based Industry Nine recently launched its latest hub and wheel system built around an ultra-fine engagement hub. The new hubs are available in eleven colors and three different shell designs. The classic hub shell is designed around traditional J-bend steel spokes. The Solix SL shell uses straight-pull steel spokes and the Solix G shell uses the company's unique direct-threaded aluminum spokes.

industry nine solix hubs

At the heart of these new hubs is a continuously phased five-pawl freehub that works with a 121-tooth drive ring. It results in an insane 0.59-degree engagement. What’s it like to have that kind of instant hub engagement on a dropbar bike? I don’t know, but a set of test wheels arrived today for Dan Chabanov, so stay tuned to find out.

Headshot of Tara Seplavy

As Deputy Editor, Tara Seplavy leads Bicycling’s product test team; after having previously led product development and sourcing for multiple bike brands, run World Championship winning mountain bike teams, wrenched at renowned bicycle shops in Brooklyn, raced everything from criteriums to downhill, and ridden bikes on six different continents (landing herself in hospital emergency rooms in four countries and counting). Based in Easton, Pennsylvania, Tara spends tons of time on the road and trail testing products. A familiar face at cyclocross races, crits, and bike parks in the Mid Atlantic and New England, on weekends she can often be found racing for the New York City-based CRCA/KruisCX team. When not riding a bike, or talking about them, Tara listens to a lot of ska, punk, and emo music, and consumes too much social media.  

Headshot of Dan Chabanov

Test Editor Dan Chabanov got his start in cycling as a New York City bike messenger but quickly found his way into road and cyclocross racing, competing in professional cyclocross races from 2009 to 2019 and winning a Master’s National Championship title in 2018. Prior to joining Bicycling in 2021, Dan worked as part of the race organization for the Red Hook Crit, as a coach with EnduranceWERX, as well as a freelance writer and photographer. 

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THE 10 BEST Moscow Bike Tours

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  • Adrenaline & Extreme Tours
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  • District Central (TsAO)
  • 3rd Transport Ring (TTK)
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  • District North-Eastern (SVAO)
  • District Eastern (VAO)
  • Ostankinskiy
  • Krasnoselskiy
  • Boulevard Ring
  • Maryina Roshcha (Jewish Quarter)
  • Budget-friendly
  • Good for Couples
  • Good for Big Groups
  • Good for Kids
  • Good for Adrenaline Seekers
  • Hidden Gems
  • Adventurous
  • Good for a Rainy Day
  • Honeymoon spot
  • Things to do ranked using Tripadvisor data including reviews, ratings, photos, and popularity.

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TravelAwaits

Our mission is to serve the 50+ traveler who's ready to cross a few items off their bucket list.

19 Unique And Fabulous Experiences In Moscow

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Thinking of visiting Russia? When visiting such a famous city, one must, of course, visit the iconic landmarks first. Moscow has plenty of those, most of them in the center of the city, which is very well-planned for tourists. Once you’ve seen the sights that are on most travelers’ lists, it’s time to branch out and visit some of the lesser-known sites, and there are some fascinating places to see and things to do.

I know this list is long, but I just couldn’t help myself. You probably won’t have the time to see them all. But that’s okay. Just scroll through the list and choose what sounds the most interesting to you. Where possible, make sure to book in advance, as things can get crowded, especially during high season.

Saint Basil's Cathedral in Moscow, Russia

1. The Red Square, Kremlin, And Surroundings

Red Square (Krasnya Ploshad) is the heart and soul of Russia, and where much of the country’s history has unfolded. This is the most famous landmark in Moscow and indeed the whole country, it’s an absolute must-do! The square is always full of people and has a rather festive atmosphere!

Saint Basil’s Cathedral

This is the famous church with the rainbow-colored, onion-domed roof. The cathedral was commissioned in the 1500s by Ivan the Terrible and according to legend, the Tsar thought it was so beautiful, that he ordered that the architect’s eyes be cut out afterward, so he could never build anything more beautiful! He wasn’t called Ivan the Terrible for no reason!

Lenin’s Mausoleum

The “love-it-or-hate-it” of tourist attractions in Russia. A glass sarcophagus containing the embalmed body of Russian revolutionary, Vladimir Lenin. It may seem a bit bizarre to display the mummy of a person, but it has been there for almost half a century and the 2.5 million visitors who come each year, clearly feel the queuing and thorough body search are worth it, to be in Lenin’s presence.

Pro Tip: no photos and no loud talking are allowed inside the Mausoleum.

Eternal Flame

There is an Eternal Flame in honor of an unknown soldier on the left side of Red Square. The hourly changing of the guards is worth seeing.

The Kremlin is the official residence of the Russian president. You can see it from the outside, or you can take an excursion to one of the museums located inside. This is the biggest active fortress in Europe, and holds a week’s worth of attractions! Once behind the 7,332-feet of walls, there are five squares, four cathedrals, 20 towers, various museums, and the world’s largest bell and cannon to see. Worth a special mention is the Armory Chamber that houses a collection of the famous Faberge Eggs.

Pro Tip: You can only go inside the Kremlin if you are part of a tourist group.

Interior of the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscos

2. Bolshoi Theatre

Bolshoi Theatre translates to “The Big Theatre” in Russian, and the building is home to both the Bolshoi Ballet and Bolshoi Opera — among the oldest and most famous ballet and opera companies in the world.

Pro Tip: It’s hard to get an inexpensive ticket, so if you’re reading well in advance of going to Moscow then try buying tickets on the official website . Last-minute tickets cost around $250 per person. If this is out of your budget, about an hour before a performance, you can try buying a ticket at the entrance from a reseller. Most can speak enough English to negotiate the price.

Tour the Bolshoi Theatre: You can take a group guided tour of the Bolshoi Theatre which focuses on the history and architecture of the theatre and behind the scenes. There’s an English language tour that lasts 2 hours and costs around $300 for a group of up to six.

GUM, a popular department store in Moscow

3. Luxury Shopping At GUM And TSUM

Russia’s main department store, GUM, has a stunning interior that is home to over 100 high-end boutiques, selling a variety of brands: from luxurious Dior to the more affordable Zara. Even if shopping is not on your Moscow to-do list GUM is still worth a visit; the glass-roofed arcade faces Red Square and offers a variety of classy eateries. TSUM, one of the biggest luxury malls in town, is right behind the Bolshoi and GUM. It’s an imposing building with lots of history, and worth a visit just for its design and its glass roof.

Christ the Savior Cathedral in Moscow

4. Christ The Savior Cathedral

This is one of Russia’s most visited cathedrals and is a newer addition to the gorgeous array of Muscovite cathedrals, but don’t let its young age fool you. After perestroika, in the early 90s, the revived Russian Orthodox Church was given permission to build a cathedral on this site. It did the location honors and built the largest temple of the Christian Orthodox Church. The façade is as grand as you’d expect, but it’s the inside that will mesmerize you, with its domes, gold, gorgeous paintings, and decor!

The cathedral is located just a few hundred feet away from the Kremlin and was the site of the infamous Pussy Riot protest against Putin back in 2012.

Pro Tip: Bring a shawl to cover your hair as is the local custom.

Gates at Gorky Park in Moscow

5. Gorky Park

Moscow’s premier green space, Gorky Park (Park Gor’kogo) is the city’s biggest and most famous park. There is entertainment on offer here for every taste, from outdoor dancing sessions to yoga classes, volleyball, ping-pong, rollerblading, and bike and boat rental in summer. In winter, half the park turns into a huge ice skating rink. Gorky Park is also home to an open-air movie theater and the Garage Museum of Contemporary Art. There is also Muzeon Art Park, a dynamic contemporary space with a unique collection of 700 sculptures. It is located right in front of Gorky Park.

6. Sparrow Hills Park

If you take a walk from Gorky Park, along the Moscow River embankment, you’ll end up in the city’s other legendary park, Sparrow Hills. Although the park doesn’t offer as many activities as its hip neighbor, it has a great panoramic view of the city

Pro Tip: You can take a free walking tour to all of the above attractions with an English-speaking guide.

River cruise in Moscow

7. River Cruising

One of the best ways to experience Moscow, and see all the famous landmarks, but from a different angle, is from the Moscow River. Take a river cruise. Avoid the tourist crowds. There are little nameless old boats that do the cruise, but if you are looking for a more luxurious experience take the Radisson Blu cruise and enjoy the sights with some good food and a glass of wine.

Moscow Metro station

8. Metro Hopping

Inaugurated in the 1930s, the Moscow Metro system is one of the oldest and most beautiful in the world. Started in Stalinist times, each station is a work of art in its own right. I’d recommend touring the stations between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. This way, you’ll be able to properly see it without the crowds. Ideally, I’d recommend taking a tour with a knowledgeable guide with GuruWalk, who will tell you stories of forgotten stations and how the history of the country is interconnected with the metro development. If going by yourself, then I definitely recommend checking out: Mayakovskaya, Ploschad Revolutsii, Kievskaya, Kropotkinskaya, Kurskaya, and Novoslobodskaya stations.

Visit the free Moscow Metro Museum: For real train enthusiasts, located in the southern vestibule of Sportivnaya station is a small free museum. Here you can take a peek into the driver’s cabin, see a collection of metro tokens from different cities, and see different models of a turnstile, traffic lights, escalator, and more.

Moscow State University at dusk

9. Moscow State University View

In his effort to create a grander Moscow, Stalin had seven skyscrapers built in different parts of town; they’re called the Seven Sisters. The largest of these buildings and the one with the best view is the main building of the Moscow State University. Although this is a little outside the city center, the view is more than worth it.

Izmailovsky Market in Moscow, Russia

10. Izmailovsky Market

Mostly known for the city’s largest flea market, the district of Izmaylovo is home to a maze of shops where you can get just about anything, from artisan crafts to traditional fur hats, handcrafted jewelry, fascinating Soviet memorabilia, and antiquities. It’s also one of Moscow’s largest green spaces. There are often no price tags, so be prepared to haggle a bit. Head to one of the market cafes for a warming mulled wine before continuing your shopping spree.

The History of Vodka Museum is found here, and the museum’s restaurant is the perfect place to sample various brands of the national drink.

Once you’ve covered the more touristy spots, Moscow still has plenty to offer, and the places below will also be full of locals! So for some local vibes, I would strongly recommend the spots below!

The skyscrapers of Moscow City

11. Moscow City

With a completely different vibe, Moscow City (also referred to as Moscow International Business Center) is like a mini Dubai, with lots of impressive tall glass buildings. Here is where you’ll find the best rooftops in towns, like Ruski Restaurant, the highest restaurant both in Moscow City and in Europe. Moscow City is great for crowd-free shopping and the best panoramic views of the city.

Art in the Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow

12. Tretyakov Gallery

Tretyakov Gallery started as the private collection of the Tretyakov brothers, who were 19th-century philanthropists. They gave their private collection to the government after their deaths. If there is just one museum you visit in Moscow, I recommend this one!

Tsaritsyno Museum Reserve, former residence of Catherine the Great

13. Tsaritsyno Museum-Reserve

Tsaritsyno was a residence of Catherine the Great more than two centuries ago. It became derelict during the Soviet era but has now been fully renovated. With its opulently decorated buildings, gardens, meadows, and forests, Tsaritsyno Park is the perfect place for a green respite in Moscow.

Kolomenskoye Museum-Reserve in Moscow

14. Kolomenskoye

A 10-minute metro ride from the city center is Kolomenskoe Museum-Reserve, where you can get an idea of what Russia looked like 200 years ago. You’ll find ancient churches (one dating back to the 16th century), the oldest garden in Moscow, and the wonderful fairytale wooden palace of Tsar Alexey Mikhailovich, father of Peter the Great.

Ostankino TV Tower in Moscow at night

15. Ostankino TV Tower

Built in 1967, Ostankino TV Tower was the tallest free-standing construction in the world at the time, it’s still the 8th tallest building in the world and the highest in Europe. It’s also the best observation deck, with a glass floor and 360-degree views. The speedy elevators take you 1,105 feet in next to no time.

Pro Tip: You need to book in advance; entrance is based on specific ticket times and the capacity is limited and only a certain number of tourists are allowed per day. Don’t forget your passport, you’ll need it to get through security.

The floating bridge of Zaryadye Park in Moscow

16. Zaryadye Park

Zaryadye is a newly opened, landscaped urban park so new you won’t find it in a lot of tour guides. The park is near Red Square and is divided into four climatic zones: forest, steppe, tundra, and floodplains, depicting the variety of climatic zones in Russia.

These last three suggestions are a little quirky, but all are really worth checking out.

17. Museum Of Soviet Arcade Games

Release your inner child playing on 66 arcade machines from the Soviet era! What a great way to spend a couple of hours when tired of visiting museums and palaces. The staff speaks excellent English and are happy to explain how the games work.

The rooftops of Moscow, Russia

18. Moscow Rooftop Tour

Take a 1-hour private Moscow rooftop tour with an experienced roofer. I can just about guarantee none of your friends will be able to say they’ve done it! For your comfort, I recommend wearing comfortable shoes. Take your camera, there are some amazing photo opportunities out there!

A pool at Sanduny Banya in Moscow

19. Sanduny Banya

This classical Russian bathhouse opened its doors in 1808 and is famous for combining traditional Russian banya services with luxurious interiors and service. If you enjoy spas and saunas, then you should experience a Russian bathhouse at least once in your life! Go with an open mind and hire a specialist to steam you as it’s meant to be done — by being beaten repeatedly with a besom (a leafy branch)! This is said to improve circulation, but is best done by a professional!

So there you have my list of things to do in Moscow. I could have gone on and on and on, but I didn’t want to try your patience! There are so many things to do in this vibrant city that you’ll definitely need to allocate several days for exploring.

Here are some other reasons to visit Moscow and Russia:

  • 7 Reasons To Put Moscow On Your Travel Bucket List
  • Russia 30 Years (And 30 Pounds) Ago
  • Massive Mysterious Craters Appearing Again In Siberia

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Born and raised in Sydney, Australia, before moving to Africa at the age of 21, Sarah Kingdom is a mountain climber and guide, traveler, yoga teacher, trail runner, and mother of two. When she is not climbing or traveling she lives on a cattle ranch in central Zambia. She guides and runs trips regularly in India, Nepal, Tibet, Russia, and Ethiopia, taking climbers up Tanzania’s Mount Kilimanjaro numerous times a year.

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Travel Itinerary For One Week in Moscow: The Best of Moscow!

I just got back from one week in Moscow. And, as you might have already guessed, it was a mind-boggling experience. It was not my first trip to the Russian capital. But I hardly ever got enough time to explore this sprawling city. Visiting places for business rarely leaves enough time for sightseeing. I think that if you’ve got one week in Russia, you can also consider splitting your time between its largest cities (i.e. Saint Petersburg ) to get the most out of your trip. Seven days will let you see the majority of the main sights and go beyond just scratching the surface. In this post, I’m going to share with you my idea of the perfect travel itinerary for one week in Moscow.

Moscow is perhaps both the business and cultural hub of Russia. There is a lot more to see here than just the Kremlin and Saint Basil’s Cathedral. Centuries-old churches with onion-shaped domes dotted around the city are in stark contrast with newly completed impressive skyscrapers of Moscow City dominating the skyline. I spent a lot of time thinking about my Moscow itinerary before I left. And this city lived up to all of my expectations.

7-day Moscow itinerary

Travel Itinerary For One Week in Moscow

Day 1 – red square and the kremlin.

Metro Station: Okhotny Ryad on Red Line.

No trip to Moscow would be complete without seeing its main attraction. The Red Square is just a stone’s throw away from several metro stations. It is home to some of the most impressive architectural masterpieces in the city. The first thing you’ll probably notice after entering it and passing vendors selling weird fur hats is the fairytale-like looking Saint Basil’s Cathedral. It was built to commemorate one of the major victories of Ivan the Terrible. I once spent 20 minutes gazing at it, trying to find the perfect angle to snap it. It was easier said than done because of the hordes of locals and tourists.

As you continue strolling around Red Square, there’s no way you can miss Gum. It was widely known as the main department store during the Soviet Era. Now this large (yet historic) shopping mall is filled with expensive boutiques, pricey eateries, etc. During my trip to Moscow, I was on a tight budget. So I only took a retro-style stroll in Gum to get a rare glimpse of a place where Soviet leaders used to grocery shop and buy their stuff. In case you want some modern shopping experience, head to the Okhotny Ryad Shopping Center with stores like New Yorker, Zara, and Adidas.

things to do in Moscow in one week

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To continue this Moscow itinerary, next you may want to go inside the Kremlin walls. This is the center of Russian political power and the president’s official residence. If you’re planning to pay Kremlin a visit do your best to visit Ivan the Great Bell Tower as well. Go there as early as possible to avoid crowds and get an incredible bird’s-eye view. There are a couple of museums that are available during designated visiting hours. Make sure to book your ticket online and avoid lines.

Day 2 – Cathedral of Christ the Saviour, the Tretyakov Gallery, and the Arbat Street

Metro Station: Kropotkinskaya on Red Line

As soon as you start creating a Moscow itinerary for your second day, you’ll discover that there are plenty of metro stations that are much closer to certain sites. Depending on your route, take a closer look at the metro map to pick the closest.

The white marble walls of Christ the Saviour Cathedral are awe-inspiring. As you approach this tallest Orthodox Christian church, you may notice the bronze sculptures, magnificent arches, and cupolas that were created to commemorate Russia’s victory against Napoleon.

travel itinerary for one week in Moscow

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Unfortunately, the current Cathedral is a replica, since original was blown to bits in 1931 by the Soviet government. The new cathedral basically follows the original design, but they have added some new elements such as marble high reliefs.

Home to some precious collection of artworks, in Tretyakov Gallery you can find more than 150,000 of works spanning centuries of artistic endeavor. Originally a privately owned gallery, it now has become one of the largest museums in Russia. The Gallery is often considered essential to visit. But I have encountered a lot of locals who have never been there.

Famous for its souvenirs, musicians, and theaters, Arbat street is among the few in Moscow that were turned into pedestrian zones. Arbat street is usually very busy with tourists and locals alike. My local friend once called it the oldest street in Moscow dating back to 1493. It is a kilometer long walking street filled with fancy gift shops, small cozy restaurants, lots of cute cafes, and street artists. It is closed to any vehicular traffic, so you can easily stroll it with kids.

Day 3 – Moscow River Boat Ride, Poklonnaya Hill Victory Park, the Moscow City

Metro Station: Kievskaya and Park Pobedy on Dark Blue Line / Vystavochnaya on Light Blue Line

Voyaging along the Moscow River is definitely one of the best ways to catch a glimpse of the city and see the attractions from a bit different perspective. Depending on your Moscow itinerary, travel budget and the time of the year, there are various types of boats available. In the summer there is no shortage of boats, and you’ll be spoiled for choice.

exploring Moscow

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If you find yourself in Moscow during the winter months, I’d recommend going with Radisson boat cruise. These are often more expensive (yet comfy). They offer refreshments like tea, coffee, hot chocolate, and, of course, alcoholic drinks. Prices may vary but mostly depend on your food and drink selection. Find their main pier near the opulent Ukraine hotel . The hotel is one of the “Seven Sisters”, so if you’re into the charm of Stalinist architecture don’t miss a chance to stay there.

The area near Poklonnaya Hill has the closest relation to the country’s recent past. The memorial complex was completed in the mid-1990s to commemorate the Victory and WW2 casualties. Also known as the Great Patriotic War Museum, activities here include indoor attractions while the grounds around host an open-air museum with old tanks and other vehicles used on the battlefield.

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The hallmark of the memorial complex and the first thing you see as you exit metro is the statue of Nike mounted to its column. This is a very impressive Obelisk with a statue of Saint George slaying the dragon at its base.

Maybe not as impressive as Shanghai’s Oriental Pearl Tower , the skyscrapers of the Moscow City (otherwise known as Moscow International Business Center) are so drastically different from dull Soviet architecture. With 239 meters and 60 floors, the Empire Tower is the seventh highest building in the business district.

The observation deck occupies 56 floor from where you have some panoramic views of the city. I loved the view in the direction of Moscow State University and Luzhniki stadium as well to the other side with residential quarters. The entrance fee is pricey, but if you’re want to get a bird’s eye view, the skyscraper is one of the best places for doing just that.

Day 4 – VDNKh, Worker and Collective Farm Woman Monument, The Ostankino TV Tower

Metro Station: VDNKh on Orange Line

VDNKh is one of my favorite attractions in Moscow. The weird abbreviation actually stands for Russian vystavka dostizheniy narodnogo khozyaystva (Exhibition of Achievements of the National Economy). With more than 200 buildings and 30 pavilions on the grounds, VDNKh serves as an open-air museum. You can easily spend a full day here since the park occupies a very large area.

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First, there are pavilions that used to showcase different cultures the USSR was made of. Additionally, there is a number of shopping pavilions, as well as Moskvarium (an Oceanarium) that features a variety of marine species. VDNKh is a popular venue for events and fairs. There is always something going on, so I’d recommend checking their website if you want to see some particular exhibition.

A stone’s throw away from VDNKh there is a very distinctive 25-meters high monument. Originally built in 1937 for the world fair in Paris, the hulking figures of men and women holding a hammer and a sickle represent the Soviet idea of united workers and farmers. It doesn’t take much time to see the monument, but visiting it gives some idea of the Soviet Union’s grandiose aspirations.

I have a thing for tall buildings. So to continue my travel itinerary for one week in Moscow I decided to climb the fourth highest TV tower in the world. This iconic 540m tower is a fixture of the skyline. You can see it virtually from everywhere in Moscow, and this is where you can get the best panoramic views (yep, even better than Empire skyscraper).

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Parts of the floor are made of tempered glass, so it can be quite scary to exit the elevator. But trust me, as you start observing buildings and cars below, you won’t want to leave. There is only a limited number of tickets per day, so you may want to book online. Insider tip: the first tour is cheaper, you can save up to $10 if go there early.

Day 5 – A Tour To Moscow Manor Houses

Metro Station: Kolomenskoye, Tsaritsyno on Dark Green Line / Kuskovo on Purple Line

I love visiting the manor houses and palaces in Moscow. These opulent buildings were generally built to house Russian aristocratic families and monarchs. Houses tend to be rather grand affairs with impressive architecture. And, depending on the whims of the owners, some form of a landscaped garden.

During the early part of the 20th century though, many of Russia’s aristocratic families (including the family of the last emperor) ended up being killed or moving abroad . Their manor houses were nationalized. Some time later (after the fall of the USSR) these were open to the public. It means that today a great many of Moscow’s finest manor houses and palaces are open for touring.

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There are 20 manor houses scattered throughout the city and more than 25 in the area around. But not all of them easily accessible and exploring them often takes a lot of time. I’d recommend focusing on three most popular estates in Moscow that are some 30-minute metro ride away from Kremlin.

Sandwiched between the Moscow River and the Andropov Avenue, Kolomenskoye is a UNESCO site that became a public park in the 1920’s. Once a former royal estate, now it is one of the most tranquil parks in the city with gorgeous views. The Ascension Church, The White Column, and the grounds are a truly grand place to visit.

You could easily spend a full day here, exploring a traditional Russian village (that is, in fact, a market), picnicking by the river, enjoying the Eastern Orthodox church architecture, hiking the grounds as well as and wandering the park and gardens with wildflower meadows, apple orchards, and birch and maple groves. The estate museum showcases Russian nature at its finest year-round.

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If my travel itinerary for one week in Moscow was a family tree, Tsaritsyno Park would probably be the crazy uncle that no-one talks about. It’s a large park in the south of the city of mind-boggling proportions, unbelievable in so many ways, and yet most travelers have never heard of it.

The palace was supposed to be a summer home for Empress Catherine the Great. But since the construction didn’t meet with her approval the palace was abandoned. Since the early 1990’s the palace, the pond, and the grounds have been undergoing renovations. The entire complex is now looking brighter and more elaborately decorated than at possibly any other time during its history. Like most parks in Moscow, you can visit Tsaritsyno free of charge, but there is a small fee if you want to visit the palace.

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Last, but by no means least on my Moscow itinerary is Kuskovo Park . This is definitely an off-the-beaten-path place. While it is not easily accessible, you will be rewarded with a lack of crowds. This 18th-century summer country house of the Sheremetev family was one of the first summer country estates of the Russian nobility. And when you visit you’ll quickly realize why locals love this park.

Like many other estates, Kuskovo has just been renovated. So there are lovely French formal garden, a grotto, and the Dutch house to explore. Make sure to plan your itinerary well because the estate is some way from a metro station.

Day 6 – Explore the Golden Ring

Creating the Moscow itinerary may keep you busy for days with the seemingly endless amount of things to do. Visiting the so-called Golden Ring is like stepping back in time. Golden Ring is a “theme route” devised by promotion-minded journalist and writer Yuri Bychkov.

Having started in Moscow the route will take you through a number of historical cities. It now includes Suzdal, Vladimir, Kostroma, Yaroslavl and Sergiev Posad. All these awe-inspiring towns have their own smaller kremlins and feature dramatic churches with onion-shaped domes, tranquil residential areas, and other architectural landmarks.

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I only visited two out of eight cities included on the route. It is a no-brainer that Sergiev Posad is the nearest and the easiest city to see on a day trip from Moscow. That being said, you can explore its main attractions in just one day. Located some 70 km north-east of the Russian capital, this tiny and overlooked town is home to Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius, UNESCO Site.

things to do in Moscow in seven days

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Sergiev Posad is often described as being at the heart of Russian spiritual life. So it is uncommon to see the crowds of Russian pilgrims showing a deep reverence for their religion. If you’re traveling independently and using public transport, you can reach Sergiev Posad by bus (departs from VDNKh) or by suburban commuter train from Yaroslavskaya Railway Station (Bahnhof). It takes about one and a half hours to reach the town.

Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius is a great place to get a glimpse of filling and warming Russian lunch, specifically at the “ Gostevaya Izba ” restaurant. Try the duck breast, hearty potato and vegetables, and the awesome Napoleon cake.

Day 7 – Gorky Park, Izmailovo Kremlin, Patriarch’s Ponds

Metro Station: Park Kultury or Oktyabrskaya on Circle Line / Partizanskaya on Dark Blue Line / Pushkinskaya on Dark Green Line

Gorky Park is in the heart of Moscow. It offers many different types of outdoor activities, such as dancing, cycling, skateboarding, walking, jogging, and anything else you can do in a park. Named after Maxim Gorky, this sprawling and lovely park is where locals go on a picnic, relax and enjoy free yoga classes. It’s a popular place to bike around, and there is a Muzeon Art Park not far from here. A dynamic location with a younger vibe. There is also a pier, so you can take a cruise along the river too.

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The Kremlin in Izmailovo is by no means like the one you can find near the Red Square. Originally built for decorative purposes, it now features the Vernissage flea market and a number of frequent fairs, exhibitions, and conferences. Every weekend, there’s a giant flea market in Izmailovo, where dozens of stalls sell Soviet propaganda crap, Russian nesting dolls, vinyl records, jewelry and just about any object you can imagine. Go early in the morning if you want to beat the crowds.

All the Bulgakov’s fans should pay a visit to Patriarch’s Ponds (yup, that is plural). With a lovely small city park and the only one (!) pond in the middle, the location is where the opening scene of Bulgakov’s novel Master and Margarita was set. The novel is centered around a visit by Devil to the atheistic Soviet Union is considered by many critics to be one of the best novels of the 20th century. I spent great two hours strolling the nearby streets and having lunch in the hipster cafe.

Conclusion and Recommendations

To conclude, Moscow is a safe city to visit. I have never had a problem with getting around and most locals are really friendly once they know you’re a foreigner. Moscow has undergone some serious reconstruction over the last few years. So you can expect some places to be completely different. I hope my one week Moscow itinerary was helpful! If you have less time, say 4 days or 5 days, I would cut out day 6 and day 7. You could save the Golden Ring for a separate trip entirely as there’s lots to see!

What are your thoughts on this one week Moscow itinerary? Are you excited about your first time in the city? Let me know in the comments below!

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24 comments.

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Ann Snook-Moreau

Moscow looks so beautiful and historic! Thanks for including public transit information for those of us who don’t like to rent cars.

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MindTheTravel

Yup, that is me 🙂 Rarely rent + stick to the metro = Full wallet!

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Mariella Blago

Looks like you had loads of fun! Well done. Also great value post for travel lovers.

Thanks, Mariella!

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I have always wanted to go to Russia, especially Moscow. These sights look absolutely beautiful to see and there is so much history there!

Agree! Moscow is a thousand-year-old city and there is definitely something for everyone.

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Tara Pittman

Those are amazing buildings. Looks like a place that would be amazing to visit.

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Adriana Lopez

Never been to Moscow or Russia but my family has. Many great spots and a lot of culture. Your itinerary sounds fantastic and covers a lot despite it is only a short period of time.

What was their favourite thing about Russia?

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Gladys Parker

I know very little about Moscow or Russia for the\at matter. I do know I would have to see the Red Square and all of its exquisite architectural masterpieces. Also the CATHEDRAL OF CHRIST THE SAVIOUR. Thanks for shedding some light on visiting Moscow.

Thanks for swinging by! The Red Square is a great starting point, but there way too many places and things to discover aside from it!

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Ruthy @ Percolate Kitchen

You are making me so jealous!! I’ve always wanted to see Russia.

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Moscow is in my bucket list, I don’t know when I can visit there, your post is really useful. As a culture rich place we need to spend at least week.

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DANA GUTKOWSKI

Looks like you had a great trip! Thanks for all the great info! I’ve never been in to Russia, but this post makes me wanna go now!

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Wow this is amazing! Moscow is on my bucket list – such an amazing place to visit I can imagine! I can’t wait to go there one day!

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The building on the second picture looks familiar. I keep seeing that on TV.

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Reesa Lewandowski

What beautiful moments! I always wish I had the personality to travel more like this!

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Perfect itinerary for spending a week in Moscow! So many places to visit and it looks like you had a wonderful time. I would love to climb that tower. The views I am sure must have been amazing!

I was lucky enough to see the skyline of Moscow from this TV Tower and it is definitely mind-blowing.

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Chelsea Pearl

Moscow is definitely up there on my travel bucket list. So much history and iconic architecture!

Thumbs up! 🙂

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Blair Villanueva

OMG I dream to visit Moscow someday! Hope the visa processing would be okay (and become more affordable) so I could pursue my dream trip!

Yup, visa processing is the major downside! Agree! Time and the money consuming process…

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

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