![]() Make sure there's enough space between the chainstays to accomodate your type of tyre. Tyre clearance is a vital element of the mix, allowing you to run chunky off-road tyres, but also providing the ability to swap to skinnier road-orientated rubber for winter commuting, road touring and the like. It can be treated like a true mule for those longer expeditions out into the wild, where you need to carry provisions for multiple days in the saddle. Sonder has basically thought of everything, with mounting points for racks and bags dotted all over the bike. This means you can essentially slap MTB rubber on this bad boy and traverse even the trickiest of terrain with ease. In this aluminium, SRAM Rival 1 set-up, you get tyre clearance of around 50mm, although you can likely push that a little further. ![]() The Sodner Camino has long been the affordable gravel bike of choice for many, seeing as it is so dang capable. Sonder now falls under the Alpkit umbrella, meaning the company can sell you all the clothing you need to reach the summit of your nearest mountain, as well as the bike-packing tent and bicycle to get you there. ![]() Plus, there are mounts for top tube storage, as well as numerous bottle cage positions on the downtube mount that let you configure for big frame bags.Īlpkit/Sonder Sonder Camino Al Rival Hydraulicįor: Sprightly ride, SRAM groupset, Massive tyre clearanceĪgainst: Cable routing is complex, Wheel upgrade makes it sing ![]() That said, the frame isn't too different to the 4, which we've highlighted here due to its excellent value price tag, and that's really the most important aspect, seeing as you can upgrade the rest of the machine over time.Ĭannondale has done a great job of creating a relaxed ride that's happy eating up the miles, with a carbon front fork adding the touch of lightness that makes traversing hilly terrain that bit easier.There's room for 42mm tyres, which is absolutely massive, while the marque has added removable Fender Bridge bolts that you can add when you want fenders, or remains sleek when you don't. Many gravel bikes also have fender mounts and rack mounts for additional versatility.For: Lightweight alloy frame, Capable, Great priceĪgainst: Questionable groupset, Fork lacks mounting pointsĬannondale's Topstone line-up covers a vast array of price points, from this relatively entry level 4 model, to the more expensive Topstone 1, complete with flashy Shimano GRX groupset, higher grade wheels and tyres. In general, gravel bikes have long wheelbases and relaxed steering geometry for improved stability taller stacks for a more upright position wider bars for more control tuned flexes-and perhaps suspension-to smooth the ride lower gearing for grinding up steep and loose hills additional mounts for carrying more water and food when you’re far from 7-Elevens and wide, knobby tires for a smoother ride, better traction, and more control. → Get Bicycling All Access to stay on top of the latest training tips, nutrition advice, gear reviews, and more!īetween gravel lite and super gravel is a bit of everything. The Salsa Cutthroat is the best of these “super gravel” bikes. These can fit 29x2.4-inch mountain bike tires, have stability-focused geometry, and tons of mounts for cargo so you can escape on unsupported multi-day backcountry trips. On the other end are essentially drop-bar mountain bikes. They’re fast, quick-handling, and work great on smoother dirt roads but don’t have the geometry, features, or clearance for gnarlier adventures. Allied's Alfa Allroad, the Trek Domane, and Liv’s Avail Advanced are good examples of this “gravel lite” end of the category. These are practically indistinguishable from endurance road bikes and have clearance for mid-30-millimeter-wide tires. The gravel category begins with all-road bikes.
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