Road bike, gravel bike or cross bike?
I have a few good route options near me for rides that don’t suit or need the MTB. One is a 20 mile road loop round the loch, another is a good cycle path that is a lovely out and back ride of up to 60 miles, depending where you turn round. I also have an almost endless supply of forest roads to explore, and things like the Great Glen Way nearby. Or longer loops (up to 100 miles) on quieter back roads not too far away either.
So I’m a bit torn as to what to look at. Gravel bike can do it all, but will it feel slow on the tarmac? Does a cross bike split the difference between a road bike and a gravel bike? I’d probably fit mudguards but not bothered about racks.
I also wonder it’s worth paying more for carbon, from a comfort point of view?
I'd say gravel. Mine doesn't feel particulary slow on the road, but tyre choice will have a lot to do with that. The original diverge, which I have, had fairly limited tyre clearance so I'm running narrower tyres than many current gravel bikes will take.
Cross bikes are designed for smashing yourself round a muddy field as fast as possible for an hour, while gravel bike geometry is more comfortable for spending a long time in the saddle.
I also wonder it’s worth paying more for carbon, from a comfort point of view?
All my bikes are aluminium or steel. Maybe one of the benefits of having an enormous arse is more surface area for the load, but I've never had a problem, or noticed anything especially different in that respect on carbon bikes.
Saddles make a huge difference to comfort if that's what you care about, plus bike fit.
Thanks.
Gravel bike. But if you can afford it, with 2 sets of wheels (one gravel, one road) and change according to what you want to ride.
Or just choose your gravel tyres carefully.
Depends how muddy/gnarly your gravel is, but something like the WTB Resolute, Schwalbe G-One (bites?) Or Panaracer gravelking SK are pretty versatile off road but don't lose too much speed on tarmac.
To me a cross bike feels a bit more lively than a gravel bike (not a lot different to a road bike to me) and that is what I like the bike to feel like so a cross bike for me.
They will all be much of a muchness on the road if using the same tyres so that is where the compromise is.
Just pick whatever one you like the look of the most and ride it.
I like my 'do it all' drop bar Merlin GP2 gravel bike.
It's used 80% on road, 20% forest tracks, access paths etc. Occasional singletrack sillyness.
However, if I was buying new again, I would go with ability to have wider tyres than the 38mm I'm limited to due to mudguards, likely flat bar, likely a bit more touring 29er with 50mm tyres..
If the gnar isn’t very gnar, have you considered getting something like a Synapse or a Defy and sticking some more robust tyres? Bona-fide Road credentials with the option of taking it off road.
I think there is no perfect answer. Any of the above would be great!
My gravel bike feels slower on the road than the road bike.
The gravel bike is less fun on off road than the MTB.
The mountain bike is less fun on any road or smooth off road than the road or gravel.
If the surface changes, I find myself wanting one of the other two bikes.
Can you be bothered swapping tyres/ wheels? That would help but then if your surfaces change i would be wanting the other wheels.
I'd pick the one you like the look of and persuade yourself it's perfect for you.
The most fun I've had on the sort of mixed routes you describe was on a 1990's fully ridgid bike with bar ends and semi slicks. Mostly because I could t afford a second bike at the time and so there was no doubts in my mind. My gravel bike is very close to this with, but with drop bars.
If you are going to ride with mates, get the same type of bike as them.
The riding sounds AMAZING, the bike is just the tool to get out there!
The non tarmac routes would be forest roads mainly, or we’ll trodden footpaths. For anything rougher I’ve got my mountain bike. I think the cycle path, which is 99% tarmac (albeit with stones and twigs on much of it) will be the most used. It goes past my door, it’s traffic free and the views are spectacular 😀
Gravel bike can do it all, but will it feel slow on the tarmac? Does a cross bike split the difference between a road bike and a gravel bike? I’d probably fit mudguards but not bothered about racks.
That depends on what type of rider you already are/how you are already conditioned. Also on what kind of gravel bike.
So many other questions to answer one seemingly simple question!
I say this because my old 531 Audax/tourer feels fast to me on tarmac, but I’m traditionally an ATBer/MTBer/bimbletourer/communter and have never cycled competitively (I’m seemingly built/inclined to go long but not fast)
OTOH I could buy a gravel bike that weighs a bit more and with wider tyres (had one, it was not swift on road) , or a gravel bike that weighs far less (haven’t tried one) and more road-orientated and it may well be quicker than my Audax tourer on road (and yet better off-road owing to more air/tyre volume)
There’s no reason a gravel bike would be slower than a road bike provided you can get into your optimal position - 2x transmission will also give you a big enough range of gears. The other difference is having a pair of road wheels shod with suitable tyres - I really like 32mm Gravelking slicks, run them at 40-45psi and they’re quick on tarmac and you won’t get hammered on a forest track. I have a carbon Diverge - it handles high speed on the roads really well but isn’t too twitchy off-road like my old CX bike.
OP what bike do you normally do tarmac on (and ‘fast’)?
speaking as an owner of 2 cross bikes and a road bike, I think you want a gravel bike
EIther with 2 sets of wheels or else something like spesh pathfinder pro with a nice slick strip up the middle but then a bit of a tread further out
OP what bike do you normally do tarmac on (and ‘fast’)?
Currently, nothing. 15 years ago, a standard road bike. Up until 5 years ago, my lovely Genesis Day One Cross, which my daughter took to university and I think I’ve lost for good! (Which I don’t mind, the SS got frustrating as it wasn’t at all fast).
Sounds like you want a versatile road bike, which these days means a gravel bike.
something like a sonder camino would be a good starting point.
https://alpkit.com/products/sonder-camino-al-v3-rival1-hydraulic
I've got a Kinesis tripster v1 (bought back when they were cheap) which was marketed as an adventure/touring bike - it will happily fits 45mm chunky tyres and it has a slightly longer wheelbase and slacker angles for loaded touring. Works well for me as a do everything bike. Its fast enough on road (I'm not) and comfy on broken up terrain.
I'm running resolutes at the moment and Its not too much slower on road with those, arguably its a bit faster because you don't have to slow down as much when the road surface is rubbish. .
I think there is no perfect answer. Any of the above would be great!
And ultimately does it really matter. My cross bike with X One allround tyres is only around 0.5mph slower on the road and great off road. I am riding on my own so going 0.5 mph slower on road sections is not really a big deal is it...
lovely Genesis Day One Cross
10.2kg?
Just for comparison and slightly lighter even with FutureShock (@ 10.05kg):
https://road.cc/content/review/261346-specialized-mens-diverge
On the affordable steel side a Ribble CGR 725 Gravel (Shimano GRX) is listed as 10.7kg
What I really want to test ride is a Fairlight Secan…
Gravel bikes cover the spectrum from road bike to mountain bike. It sounds like you want a more road biased gravel bike. The opposite end of the gravel bike scale from a Fustle for example
Trek market the Domane as being a road bike that can venture off road. Perhaps something along those lines?
Same with the likes of the Synapse. Mine is on 30c tubeless and would do your rides nicely. I also have a Topstone Lefty which is on 650 x 47c and so much more comfy on everything except tarmac, and also faster on everything except tarmac. If it’s one bike to do it all then I’d be going for a light gravel bike, with 2x GRX and 700 x 35 ish tyres.
Trek market the Domane as being a road bike that can venture off road. Perhaps something along those lines?
I rode my 25c road bike off road when foot and mouth was a thing. All the MTB near me was banned as there are a load of livestock on or near those trails.
On the road bike I could get to further away trails. It was very exciting on some very tame trails.
I also had the same bike round the Sherwood pines red. Just the once.
You can venture off road on anything. My gravel bike has 35c tires. It is absolutely awesome on the tame Sherwood pines red, until I came round a corner and found some walkers on the trail. The brakes were less entertaining then!
I don’t think there’s masses between a cx bike and a gravel bike for what you want to do, tyres will mak more difference than geometry.
If you want to fit guards and bags and racks all over the place then get a gravel bikes if not a cx bike would also be fine.
I’ve been riding a Planet X or a norco cx bike for the last few years and with a decent sized tyre on the front, 40c, they’re fine off road, perfectly happy spending the day out on them. This cx bike is one hour round a field only thing is fairly inaccurate / outdated.
Mrs Kilo has a cx bike (an ibis) and a gravel bike (a Juliana) she doesn’t notice masses of difference, other than not being 100% sold on swoopy bars as opposed to road bars, but probably prefers the ibis overall, it just feels a bit faster.
It may also just come down to availability, which will save a lot of desicion making!
Yes that’s true!
Thanks for all the input, lots to consider.