With a gravel bike, you can ride anything. Gravel grinders, mountain bike trails, dirt roads, and more. The best gravel bikes are versatile and ready for anything.
Gravel bikes have become very popular in recent years as mountain bikers and road cyclists alike have discovered their versatility. A gravel bike is able to tackle many different types of terrain and even some off-road riding if you’re up for it.
The gravel bike category has boomed in recent years, with many manufacturers creating new models specifically designed to ride on mixed surfaces. They can be used on any type of road surface, plus they’re great off-road if you’re planning on tackling some gravel tracks or singletrack.
These bikes are built with wider tyres and lower gearing than a traditional road bike, which makes them more forgiving when riding off-road and through loose surfaces. They also tend to feature disc brakes instead of rim brakes, because they’re better at stopping you in wet weather or muddy conditions.
Many manufacturers have added gravel bikes to their range over the last couple of seasons — whether it’s an existing model that’s been rebranded or an entirely new bike designed from scratch. If you’re not sure where to start looking for your next bike purchase then we’ve got everything covered in this guide!
Best Gravel Bikes
Specialized Diverge Comp Carbon
The Specialized Diverge Comp Carbon is a road bike that’s designed for long days in the saddle. It’s built around a carbon frame that’s been constructed using an innovative manufacturing process, which means that it’s lighter, stiffer, and more comfortable than ever before.
The bike consists of 650b wheels with 38mm tires. The frame is made from Specialized FACT 9r carbon fiber, which has been manipulated to produce a material that’s both lightweight and incredibly strong. This material has been used to build the fork as well as the seat stays and seat posts, which helps contribute to the overall ride quality of this bike.
Salsa Warbird Carbon GRX 600
The Warbird Carbon GRX is a new bike in the Salsa line, and it’s one of the best gravel bikes available. The Warbird Carbon GRX has been designed around 650b x 2.1″ tires, which provide a great deal more traction than most traditional 700c tires. The extra width and volume also allow you to keep your tire pressure lower for better performance on soft surfaces like gravel and sand.
The Warbird Carbon GRX features an aluminum frame with hydroformed tubing that makes it stiff and lightweight, while also providing plenty of compliance for rough terrain without being harsh or uncomfortable when riding on pavement or smooth trails. It’s built with a high-end carbon fork from RockShox to help reduce weight further, along with thru-axles front and rear for additional stiffness when cornering hard or descending steep hills at high speeds.
Salsa has equipped this bike with Shimano’s XT/SLX drivetrain that provides plenty of gear range for climbing up steep grades at high speeds as well as downhill sections filled with rocks and roots where shifting into easier gear will make riding much more comfortable.
State Bicycle Co. 4130 All-Road
The 4130 features a Shimano 105 or Ultegra drivetrain, which is the perfect combination for a bike like this. Shimano’s 105 groupset works well on steep climbs, but it’s also light enough to be used on flat terrain.
The 4130 comes with a double-butted 4130 Chromoly frame, which gives it some extra strength and stiffness. This material is commonly used in professional road racing frames as well as mountain bikes, so you know it’s tough!
The brake calipers are Tektro Lyra disc brakes with rotors front and rear. The Tektro Lyra brakes are an excellent choice for this kind of bike because they’re lightweight and offer plenty of stopping power.
You’ll find plenty of clearance between the ground and the bottom bracket area of this bike, which is great if you want to run wider tires. This bike comes with Continental Grand Sport Race 700x32c folding tires that are perfect for riding on gravel roads and dirt paths. They’re also quite lightweight at just 240 grams each!
Scott Addict Gravel 30
If you’re looking for a bike that combines the speed and efficiency of a road bike with the versatility of a gravel bike, then check out the Scott Addict Gravel 30. This bike is designed to be ridden on mixed terrain, with a geometry that allows you to quickly transition from road to off-road riding.
The Scott Addict Gravel 30 is built around a lightweight carbon frame, which provides excellent acceleration and handling. The frame also offers plenty of clearance for wider tires and fenders if you want to use the bike on rough trails.
The Shimano Ultegra drivetrain in this bike offers 11 speeds, which gives you plenty of options for tackling any type of terrain. The hydraulic disc brakes provide reliable stopping power in all conditions.
When it comes to comfort, the Scott Addict Gravel 30 features Selle Italia XR saddle and handlebar tape, which offer great support without sacrificing comfort. There are also thru-axles front and rear for added stiffness and strength at high speeds.
Cannondale Topstone Carbon Lefty 3
The Cannondale Topstone Carbon Lefty 3 Gravel Bike is a good choice if you are looking for a versatile bike that can be used for commuting, adventure riding, and gravel racing. It comes with some of the best features of the Cannondale Teramo road bike, which has been designed to be versatile as well.
The frame is made from carbon fiber monocoque and it is built to last. The fork is also made from carbon fiber monocoque and it can withstand impacts well too. The frame is designed in such a way that it can absorb vibrations when you ride over rough surfaces like gravel roads or trails. The tires are wider than most other bikes so they offer better grip on off-road terrain. The wheels are built using oversized hub axles and this allows them to handle bumps better too.
The geometry of this bike has been optimized for long-distance riding so it offers good stability on rough terrain as well as on flat roads too. This means that you will be able to ride comfortably even if you need to take long rides across different terrains without getting tired easily at all!
Pinarello Grevil F Ekar
The Pinarello Grevil F Ekar gravel bike has been designed to perform the best on all surfaces. It is rugged and ready for an adventure with a carbon frame and fork, disc brakes, thru-axles, and plenty of clearance for wide tires. The geometry is tuned for comfort and stability over rough roads.
The Pinarello Grevil F Ekar comes with a Shimano Sora groupset, TRP Spyre mechanical disc brakes, and Fulcrum Racing wheelset.
It’s built around a lightweight hydroformed aluminum frame that has been designed to be comfortable on long rides while still being stiff enough to deliver the performance you need when you’re going down steep mountain passes or riding fast on road sections. With semi-compact geometry, it’s also agile enough to be comfortable in technical singletrack or tight switchbacks.
The Pinarello Grevil F Ekar gravel bike features clearance for tires up to 42mm wide so you can run tubeless tires without any pinch flats when riding off-road. This makes it ideal for mixed terrain rides where you might encounter some loose ground surfaces or sandy roads along the way.
Evil Chamois Hagar Force AXS
The Evil Chamois Hagar Force AXS Gravel Bike is a new addition to the company’s gravel lineup. The bike is designed for long days in the saddle and features an aggressive geometry with a 160mm fork, roomy cockpit, and 27.5-inch wheels wrapped in wide tires.
The bike is built around an Alpha Platinum Aluminum frame and carbon fork. The carbon fork saves weight while maintaining stiffness, while the aluminum frame is strong enough to handle all of your rides. The frame also has mounts for two bottle cages or one bottle cage and a tool bag.
The Hagar Force AXS features a Shimano 105 groupset with hydraulic disc brakes at both ends that provide plenty of stopping power. You’ll also find DT Swiss wheels with Schwalbe G-One Allround tires on the bike, which offer excellent traction and durability.
Priority Apollo Gravel
The Priority Apollo is a gravel bike that can do anything. It’s got a relatively high bottom bracket, which makes it more stable than a traditional road bike. It has wide tires that are great for mud and sand, but also offer enough traction to climb steep grades. And it can take you far and wide with its flat handlebars and disc brakes.
The Priority Apollo is an amazing all-around bike that you can use on the road, off-road, or even in the dirt. It’s built for comfort and speed with a lightweight alloy frame and carbon fork. The wide rims make it easy to ride over rough terrain without worrying about punctures.
The priority apollo is one of the best gravel bikes out there because it offers so many options for your next adventure.
Canyon Grizl 7 Suspension
The Canyon Grizl 7 Suspension Gravel Bike was designed to be a hard-working, all-around bike that could take on any terrain and still perform like a dream. This bike comes equipped with an air shock that allows the rider to adjust the amount of help the bike provides in terms of ride quality and performance.
The frame is made from aluminum hydroformed tubes with a tapered headtube, which makes it lighter than traditional steel frames but still rigid enough to handle rough terrain. This design also allows more tire clearance than carbon frames, which is useful if you plan on riding in muddy conditions or on gravel paths where you might encounter debris such as rocks and branches.
The Grizl 7 features Shimano hydraulic disc brakes with 180mm rotors front and rear. This means that stopping power is excellent no matter what speed you are traveling at or how steep the terrain may be. The bike also comes with thru-axles on both wheels and thru axles are much more durable than normal quick-release axles because they cannot be knocked out of alignment when changing tires or other maintenance tasks.
Final thoughts
As you can see, there are a lot of great options out there if you’re looking to get into this category of riding. As you start your research, keep in mind that the type of bike that’s best for you may have less to do with the bike itself and more to do with what kind of riding you’d like to do. Do you want a fast, light bike that’s really responsive? Or is comfort more important? Do you like long days in the saddle or shorter rides for better recovery?
The best gravel bikes are versatile enough to take on most road surfaces and trails, but also light and agile enough to be ridden in the city. The frame should be comfortable, so you can ride it for hours.
Whatever your goal is with gravel riding, make sure the bike will help you achieve it. And whatever bike ends up being the one for you, enjoy it—gravel cycling is an excellent addition to any cyclist’s repertoire.
