High-speed road stops are no problem as hydraulic disc brakes are the norm on any high-end bike in 2015. The rear wheel is not far behind you like on a comfort bike - the chainstays are short on both bikes. They get stiffened up from thru axles front (15×100) and rear (12×142), and Ridley’s X-Trail goes so far as to design asymmetrical fork blades and rear chainstays (to account for disc brake size and force). Do-All Road Bikes: Ridley’s X-Trail (left) and the Pivot Vaultįoremost, these bikes manage to feel light and fast on the road. Both can be all four of the above-named categories with little compromise other than buying a second set of wheels. They can be outfitted with skinny or wide tires. These bikes find the middle ground between aggressive and comfortable, technical riding and stability. Two of our favorites in this space are from Ridley and Pivot, and we have tested them both on the road and on the trail. Instead, the brands come out and say “this bike is for cyclocross, and gravel, and the road.” Honesty. We are fed up with being asked “what is the difference between a cyclocross bike and a gravel bike?” and having eyes roll back when we try to explain it. Some bike companies admit that the marketing machine has gone too far, so they are taking it on with bikes that don’t carry these labels. But you can save your money with a quick tire tweak for a similar effect. That will always have more of an impact than a frame designed to be “laterally stiff yet vertically compliant,” a buzz-phrase in frame design that means the bike is strong and predictable when applying power, and when cornering, but when it hits a bump it feels comfortable because the rear wheel can travel upward a little bit without translating all the energy into the saddle.
The best way to make a bike more comfortable on rough roads is to put bigger tires on and run them at lower pressure. They place the rider in a flat-back, aggressive position that is more aero and less comfy.Įssentially road and cyclocross bikes are the racy version of on- and off-road respectively, whereas “endurance” and “gravel/adventure” bikes are the comfort version.īut are there really four different bikes here? Would a rational person ever buy a cyclocross bike, an adventure/gravel bike, a road bike, and a road-endurance bike? No. They are stiffer, lighter, quicker-handling, and have better pedal clearance for high-speed cornering. But cyclocross is a competitive endeavor, and there are race versions of these bikes. Tell them apart? Gravel, Cyclocross, and ‘Adventure’ bike models, left to rightĬyclocross bikes also look like road bikes, and they are also designed for rough terrain. If you don’t understand all those terms, Google them or trust us that they just make a bike less “racy” and more comfortable. These bikes have a long wheelbase, bigger tires, lower bottom bracket, taller head tube, and relaxed head tube angle. These two terms - “gravel” and “adventure” - are used interchangeably and they refer to the comfortable and stable geometry sought for the long haul. So we can cut through that BS right away. Gravel, or “adventure” bikes, are synonymous. Granted, we’re willing victims as much as anyone - who doesn’t want a new bike, and one that is dialed just for your terrain or medium of choice? But the industry knows it has gone a bit mad. These similar machines trade out parts and tweak geometry, adding bigger tires or fender mounts, then christen it all as something new. The biggest differences are in the marketing. Technically, these categories are different, but not enough that it matters to most riders. We see models labeled as gravel bikes, adventure bikes, endurance-road bikes, touring, cyclocross, and on and on. A dirty (and widely-known) secret: The cycling industry creates new categories to sell more bikes.
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