Why a gravel bike is the only bike you need?

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asked Dec 11, 2024 in Cycling by sselepahs (1,140 points)
Why a gravel bike is the only bike you need?

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answered Dec 14, 2024 by Chambliss (53,140 points)
A gravel bike is the only bike you need because a gravel bike is a versatile bike and allows you to ride comfortably on both rough terrain like gravel trails and paths and even paved smooth roads.

Gravel bikes are suitable for exploring and light off road trails and even commuting or just riding around town on.

A gravel bike can go as off road and handle up to moderately rough terrain which includes fire roads, easy single track trails, dirt roads and loose gravel.

However gravel bikes are not designed to handle extremely rocky mountain bike style trails or highly technical style trails.

Once the trail becomes too rooty or rocky it becomes hard for the gravel bike to handle.

Gravel bikes can handle bumps and the gravel bike can handle bumps even better than regular road bikes as the gravel bike has wider tires.

The wider tires of a gravel bike provides more surface are which absorbs impacts from any bumps and uneven terrain, which makes the gravel bike suitable for riding on rough roads and rough trails with potholes and bumps.

A gravel bike can also be a road bike and you can ride your gravel bike on just about any terrain and they are great for both going on gravel roads and gravel trails as well as riding on smooth paved surfaces and even on city streets.

The kind of trails that a gravel bike can handle are gravel trails and gravel roads, dirt roads and dirt trails, park lanes, city streets, dryer valley trails, dirt roads and easy trails.

Gravel bikes are versatile bikes and can handle almost any type of trail that you come across.

You should choose a gravel bike when you need a versatile bike which can handle light off road terrain as well as paved roads.

Because a gravel bike can handle both light off road terrain and paved roads it makes the gravel bike a good choice for commuting on less than perfect roads and rough roads and exploring different surfaces and bikepacking.

Gravel bikes are also good for riding situations in which you may encounter light trails, dirt paths or gravel roads or trails.

The limits of a gravel bike are the speed, Terrain they can cover, the comfort tire clearance and weight.

Gravel bikes combine features from road and mountain bikes and also have wider tires for off road use and an upright seating position.

Gravel bikes also require more maintenance and wear faster than road bikes.

Gravel bikes are also designed to be robust and can also be heavier than regular road bikes and a high end gravel bike can weigh around 18 lbs to 20 lbs and a cheaper regular bike can weigh 22 to 36 lbs.

For some people gravel bikes are not as comfortable as a regular bike or mountain bike with front suspension and gravel bikes are also slower than road bikes when road on paved terrain and are slower than mountain bikes when rode on off road trails.

Also gravel bikes aren't designed for the biking trails that are the most challenging and riding the gravel bike on deep sand lanes or steep root carpets may not go to well on a gravel bike.

A gravel bike also has less suspension than a regular bike, making the gravel bike faster on paved roads.

However, the gravel bike also has more tread on the tires and a sturdier frame than a road bike, giving them more stability and comfort on unpaved paths.

A gravel bike also has a taller headtube, steeper headtube angle, and a lower bottom bracket.

This makes the gravel bike stable mostly in a seated position and optimized for minimal tech.

Most gravel bikes also don't have a suspension fork or shock.

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