Cyclocross Vs Gravel Vs Road Bike

Difference between gravel bikes and road bikes.

Cyclocross vs gravel vs road bike. Gravel bikes can be thought of as the fusion between cyclocross bikes and road bikes. Well a 72 degree head angle and a 280mm high bottom bracket are the most notable design features when we are comparing it to a gravel bike. Simply said a gravel bike is a combination of a road bike happy on tarmac and a cyclo cross bike happy on mud. Tracks that are too technical for a road bike yet too.

The rules set by cycle racing s governing body the uci say cyclocross tyres have to be no more than 33mm wide. Riding drop bar bikes in an off road setting is nothing new but recently more cyclists are venturing off the beaten path. As usual the idea comes from the us where the countryside is crisscrossed by miles and miles of unused tracks designed to help fire trucks navigate around remote forests. In this video i will explain the main differences between a cyclocross race bike and a gravel bike in less than four minutes.

Gravel bikes can handle more wear and tear than your common road bikes. A gravel bike has a large clearance. The cyclo cross vs gravel bike conundrum. Every cyclocross course is unique but most are between 2 5 and 3 5km long.

And they can reach speeds way higher than that of a mountain bike. Understanding the differences. There s usually room in a cyclocross frame for tyres that are a bit wider than that and there s room for mud clearance but gravel bikes will typically take much bigger tyres. Hence riders need a narrower gear range.

On such short courses there can only be so much change in elevation. A responsive road bike like used by the pros may use a 73 degree head angle so we can see that the cyclocross bike uses a 1 degree slacker to enable a little more stability off road but retains quick.