The British made Shand Stoater offers a steel frame and fork that has been designed for “the pure enjoyment of go-anywhere riding… refined enough to be your main road bike but rugged enough for off road trails and singletrack, it could be the only bike you ever need,” according to the company. The Topstone could be anything from an off-road bike to a winter road bike, but with ‘Kingpin’ rear suspension coupled with the lightweight carbon frame, we see it fitting best in the gravel category, although the range now has a full suspension, ‘Lefty’ fork, 650b wheels and even an electronic version in the mix (see below), so it could fit in a number of different pigeon holes. It's a bike you ride in, rather than on; you feel integral to it. If you're looking at one of the high-zoot carbon fibre Diverges — the Comp, Expert, Pro and S-Works models — you also get an internal SWAT compartment in the down tube for storing tools, spares and so on, a feature that's crossed over from Specialized's mountain bike line. As an all-around package it works brilliantly with a spec perfectly suited to the riding style, although it might be worth investing in some faster tires if you’re riding longer stretches of tarmac. Adventure road is simply a tag to describe a light drop-bar bike for adventure-minded riders, it is a broad spectrum and covers many different bikes and riding styles but the essentials remain the same; it is about the freedom and spirit of the ride. I generally recommend flat bars for adventure touring, you can read why HERE. "The Exploro Pro GRX is at its best when you can get down on the drops, wind up the power and hold it there, so its favourite environment is open terrain with empty tracks that roll off into the sunset – but, failing that, it'll settle for anything that's reasonably solid! Tags. For 2021 the Silex range comprises has added two carbon fibre models with 650B wheels for even more off-road capability, and three aluminium-framed bikes with 700C wheels. With even the tiniest lanes infested with motor traffic, gravel bikes get you properly away from dangerous drivers. Tel 01225 588855. The revenue from adverts helps to fund our site. We found the frame geometry and ride quality are excellent and boosts confidence whilst remaining comfortable and as per usual with Canyon the spec vs price is highly competitive. South Coast-based Reilly Cycleworks has produced the Gradient as a do-everything adventure road bike or gravel bike, with a lovingly finished titanium frame and smart specification in this £2,799 complete bike. Double chainrings offer more options for riders that prefer to spend more time on smoother terrain or on the road. At £1600 / $1649, the G2 represents great value for money that provides all the confidence you need for mixing up your ride with off-road segments. in: Tubeless Tyre for Winter recommendations . Electric gravel bikes: dirt loving drop bar e-bikes with added oomph give you the all-terrain capability, confidence-inspiring stability, but with some additional assistance. Adventure and gravel bikes almost exclusively use disc brakes for their better modulation and more consistent stopping in dry, wet and muddy conditions. Stability and handling are key when it comes to riding off-road. If you’ve only got space for one bike at home, this is certainly a contender for that spot. We pick out some of the best gravel bikes and adventure road bikes you can buy, explain what makes the best gravel bike and what you need to look for … Lauf's True Grit shuns the usual versatility of most gravel bikes for a pin-sharp focus on racing, with their unique leaf-sprung fork taking centre stage on a bike that's quite unlike most others out there. It’s properly inspiring and the only thing that slows you is your confidence in holding on. Even a Bonneville will do some light off-road work! The frame comes with a Shimano GRX 2×11 speed drivetrain and is shod with rack and fender mounts throughout, including on the top tube for a bento-style snack box. See more: Trek Checkpoint at Trek Bicycles for £2800 / $2899.99. Cross, Gravel, Road, that's what the CGR initials stand for on Ribble's all-rounder, a bike with solid gravel bike DNA that's also up for adventure road bike riding. I was bombing down all my favourite descents with more speed and less nervousness than any gravel bike or adventure I've tested recently. Its geometry sits you in an effective pedalling position and it handles gracefully and instinctively. Unlike many of Kinesis’ frame-only offerings, the G2 adventure bike comes as a full build, aimed at providing versatility rather than targeting any specific gravel sub-genre. You’ll occasionally find mechanical disc brakes on adventure bike builds, where long-distance riders find them easier to maintain and repair in more remote situations. The 2021 Glencoe V3 gets some frame layout tweaks compared to the original — such as a straight seat tube — and a load more mounting points for luggage. BEST FOR: HILLY TERRAIN. While gravel bikes and adventure road bikes have grown from the gravel racing scene, manufacturers have been wise to cotton on to their do-it-all appeal, and many equip their gravel bikes and adventure road bikes with eyelets for fitting racks and mudguards. For a bike that could cover just about all cycling needs at the cost of less than some race wheels, the Haanjo seems like a great deal. KTM’s 790 Adventure R is an amalgamation of the companies virtuous racing platforms, and its relentless drive for unsurpassed offroad utilization. See more: Causeway GRX600 at Fustle from £1,999.99, The Merida Silex has nine options to choose from. I presume that these are to wear with super-duper-skinny hipster jeans and no socks...? If you ride predominantly on roads and well-maintained paths where you rarely need to put a foot down, then road shoes and cleats may be a good choice. Its weight can sometimes be a limiting factor, though. As much as we loved riding this bike around local bridleways, a full carbon Addict frame with deep section carbon rims is just begging to be raced. The aerodynamic Pinarello Grevil gravel bike certainly looks unique, Read more: Pinarello Grevil gravel bike review. For a start, gravel bikes and adventure bikes aren’t simply rebranded cyclo-cross bikes. Trek’s Checkpoint is actually the third off-road drop-bar bike in the brand’s range, with the Boone and Crockett being pitched more towards the CX crowd. BMW adventure bike are always epic, so also is the BMW R1250 GS Adventure. Rear-axle spacing for disc brake wheels is typically 135mm (quick release) or 142mm (thru-axle), or occasionally 148mm boost spacing for stronger wheelsets. There are seven models in the range, three with aluminium frames and four in carbon fibre with clearance for tyre up to 45mm wide. Wow, the fear of mammary glands is still going strong then! Bet you're not exactly salivating at the prospect. 15mm thru-axle and hydraulic discs on the GT Grade. Swing a leg over the Glencoe and the first thing you notice is the massively wide handlebar. It might not be all about speed, but it's a lot about speed. Previously he was editor of Bikemagic.com and before that staff writer at RCUK. Obviously there’s going to be some stark differences with the non-ebike version, but its certainly a reason to want to know more and worth checking out in more detail. The Haanjo is an excellent all-rounder. The Exploro Pro GRX falls into the latter category. As long as you can afford spending … However, if you're going to spend a lot of time on dirt you'll probably want to switch to something grippier than the supplied Halo Twin Rail tyres. The build isn’t particularly lightweight, but upgrading both the finishing kit and wheelset could be quick wins to knock a bit of weight off. Rather than having to replace an inner tube every time you flat, the sealant in the system will (in theory) plug any punctures from sharp objects like thorns, which is a real advantage when it comes to riding off-road. There’s not really a consensus on the best pattern, with some bikes coming with fat, slick tires, whilst others have file treads or low profile knobs. We pick out some of the best gravel bikes and adventure road bikes you can buy, explain what makes the best gravel bike and what you need to look for, This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google, Best road cycling helmets: a buyer’s guide to comfortable, lightweight and aero lids, Best endurance and sportive bikes 2021: a buying guide, Best cycling shorts: the best bike shorts we’ve tested in 2021, Best women’s gravel bikes for off-road adventures, Best budget gravel bikes: gravel bikes under £1,000, $1500, Best endurance and sportive bikes: a buying guide, Best gravel bike clothing: cycling kit for your gravel rides, Best bikepacking bags: A buyers guide for multi-day adventures, Gravel vs cyclocross bikes: what is the difference, Electric gravel bikes: dirt loving drop bar e-bikes with added oomph, Specialized Diverge Comp Carbon at Rutland Cycling for £3,999.99, Scott Addict Gravel 10 at Rutland Cycling from £5,898.99, Diamondback Haanjo 7C Carbon at Dimondback for $2,800, Liv Devote Advanced Pro at Rutland Cycles for £4,698.99, Cannondale Topstone Carbon Ultegra review, full suspension, ‘Lefty’ fork, 650b wheels and even an electronic version, Cannondale Topstone Carbon 2 Ultegra at Leisure Lakes Bikes from £1,799.99, Cannondale Topstone Lefty 3 at Cyclestore for £3,399.99, Sonder Camino AL Rival1 Gravel Bike review, Sonder Camino AL Rival 1 Hydraulic at Alpkit for £1,299, Kinesis G2 adventure bike at Kinesis for £1600.00, Pinarello Grevil Shimano Ultegra gravel bike at Sigma Sports for £3800, Competitive Cyclist with SRAM Force ETap AXS for $6999, Trek Checkpoint at Trek Bicycles for £2800 / $2899.99. We’ve included everything from the most budget friendly touring bikes right through to the most serious bike touring rigs on the market. The Light Blue has achieved this without sacrificing stiffness. These bikes aim to meld on-road efficiency with off-road capability, so you’ll find overlaps in design features with both road and cyclocross bikes, as well as incorporating elements from mountain bike technology. What a machine! Read our review of the Ribble CGR 725 SRAM Apex 1x 650bRead our review of the Ribble CGR AL Shimano 105Read our review of the Ribble CGR 725 TiagraRead our review of the Ribble CGR AL Tiagra. For those wanting to head off the beaten track, but worry about keeping up, you might want to consider a electric version. But they do! Adventure … It’s a fairly hefty machine that you can trust on rooty trails, though it has been slimmed down when compared to former iterations. The full carbon frameset comes with SRAM Force eTap AXS with Hydraulic disc brakes, carbon Syncros Creston 1.0 Flare handlebars, Syncros Capital 1.0 Synros RWS wheels snf Schwalbe G-ONE Evolution tyres – ready for the start line. The new frame, with its 'floating stays' design, is impressively smooth at the saddle. If you’ve enjoyed this article, then please consider subscribing to road.cc from as little as £1.99. Adventure & touring bikes There’s no better way to see the world than from the saddle of a touring bike. With 650b wheels, 47mm tyres, and the very distinctive Lefty Oliver fork, this bike would not look out of place on a cross country trail were it not for the drop bars. Read our review of the Surly StragglerFind a Surly dealer. What else do you want me to say? The new Diverge design also features more tyre clearance, so you can fit 47mm 700C tyres or 53mm 650Bs and still have 6mm of clearance round them for crud to pass through. And that really appeals to a growing number of British cyclists. The aim of road.cc buyer's guides is to give you the most, authoritative, objective and up-to-date buying advice. Written by Katherine Moore, Paddy Maddison & Charlie Allenby Updated on … There’s nothing to stop you fitting light 25mm or 28mm tyres if you want it to be fast on the road. Mudguard and rack mounts make this a versatile option that can cope with everything from commuting to adventure biking. adventure adventure motorcycle motorcycles. Gravel bikes and adventure road bikes are the type of bike that you need, Best Cycling Website, BikeBiz Awards 2018, Lauf True Grit — frame fork & headset from £1,999.99, Nukeproof Digger 275 Factory 2021 — £2,199.99, Fairlight Cycles Secan 2.0 GRX 800 2X — £2,699.00, Genesis Croix de Fer, CdA & Fugio — from £749.99, Kinesis Tripster ATR V3 £2,200 (frame only), The Light Blue Robinson V2 Rival 1x — £2,024.99. We've ridden and tested these bikes in real conditions, and this is our pick of the bunch. Read our review of the Canyon Grail CF SL 8.0 SL. The Pinarello Grevil has the flashy aero looks of the brand’s top-end bikes yet doesn’t lose its footing when the tarmac ends, to let you go where no Pinarello ought to be. As with the Caynon Grail below, we’ve only played with the electric version of this bike, which will offer quite a different package and ride feel, but our experience with Merida bikes in general tells us that the non-electric version is worth a look too. Read more: Merida Silex+ 8000E gravel bike review, See more: Merida Silex at Tredz from £2,000, There are 17 models of the Canyon Grail to choose from. If your gravel riding consists more of joining together sections of light gravel or hardpacked dirt with road segments, then it’s spot on. Best Adventure Bicycles In December 2020. He's a seasoned cyclist of all disciplines, from road to mountain biking, touring to cyclo-cross, he only wishes he had time to ride them all. Frame and fork highlights include a … See more: Cannondale Topstone Carbon 2 Ultegra at Leisure Lakes Bikes from £1,799.99. Read our review of the Bergamont Grandurance 6Find a Bergamont dealer. Of course, the idea of riding a road bike across any sort of terrain, be it smoothly paved roads or rough and bumpy gravel tracks, woodland trails laced with roots or edge-of-field bridleways, is nothing new really. Adventure bicycles or also simply called adventure bikes are the rides of the devil. The idea of the bigger tyres and relaxed geometry that promotes extra comfort when the going gets rough and bumpy is very attractive given the generally poor state of repair of UK roads. Flared bars are generally accepted as a good upgrade to give greater stability in the wider drops for rough terrain and descending off-road. 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