For good reason—they let you ride on calm, secluded country roads, away from the hazards of vehicles and trucks—one of the fastest-growing groups in cycling. Though they have the same rocky trails, cobblestone streets, and tough dirt roads as mountain bikes, gravel bikes differ mostly in speed and efficiency of riding posture. You could even discover them matching road bikes if you choose some skinny, slick tires. They are genuinely all-rounders.
Four factors will be covered in this post explaining why dirt bikes are about to improve. We'll look at new powertrain systems, review the newest tire widths, address a somewhat contentious issue (but it shouldn't be) suspension forks for gravel bikes, and lastly, look at some forthcoming models furnished with waterproof gearboxes and carbon fiber belt drives.
First, let us discuss the most recent drivetrain systems.
New Drivetrain Systems Will Make Climbing Easier
A YouTuber produced a video a few years ago asserting that climbing is no more difficult than cycling on level ground. If your bike has the correct low gear ratio, you can indeed keep the same power, cadence, and heart rate on both flat ground and severe hills—even if this sounds a bit ridiculous.
Still, it is the problem. Most gravel bikes have drivetrain systems, and when you consider the greatest gradient a normal person might safely climb with such gear ratios, you soon see that the gearing arrangement of gravel bikes is totally too high.
We are rather good at arithmetic. The 1:1 climbing gear ratio used in most contemporary gravel bike drivetrays is Assuming an average cyclist weighs 80 kg (176 pounds), she can maintain a 150 watt power output. This rider can only reasonably climb a gradient of up to 6.6% at a leisurely cadence of 60 revolutions per minute. And since gravel roads regularly exceed this grade, it makes sense most people find climbing difficult!
The encouraging news is that the 2024 gravel bike drivetrains at last have the correct low gear ratios. Our 80-kilogram rider can now readily climb gradients of up to 9.4%—a 30% gain in climbing ability—on bikes fitted with the SRAM Apex Eagle gear and a 38-tooth front chainring.
SRAM Apex Eagle drivetrains can use a 38-tooth front sprocket and 52-tooth rear cassette sprocket
Also performing nicely is the most recent Shimano GRX 1X drivetrain system. Riding with a similar huge rear sprocket and a 38-tooth front chainring, riders can climb grades of up to 9.2%.
The new Microshift Sword groupset suits 2X drivetrain systems. Its crankset has a 29-tooth front chainring, with a rear sprocket maximuming out at 38 teeth. This arrangement lets riders climb grades of up to 8.9%, a 25% increase over conventional gravel bike drivetrays.
The shift in tire clearance is still another significant gain for gravel bikes.
Changes in Tire Width Will Improve the Riding Experience
The NS Frag gravel bike has clearance for 2.3″ wide tyres (58mm)
Clearance of gravel bike tires is rising. Most gravel bikes maxed out a forty-mm tire width not too long ago. 50mm is somewhat popular nowadays; some models even allow tires up to 60mm (2.4 inches).
Wider tires are better as, although being less prone to pinch flats, they provide more comfort, grip, and control than smaller tires. They also help to greatly lessen physical tiredness on long rides.
Our studies on fast gravel roads comparing 42mm and 50mm wide Soma Cazadero tires revealed that the bigger tires lowered handlebar vibration by 9%. The difference was considerably more with Rene Herse 44mm tires; we discovered a 23% decrease in vibration!
Wider tires combined with the correct rubber compound can surely make your ride more comfortable, but, wait—isn't their rolling resistance high?
Fascinatingly, the change in rolling resistance from broader tire sizes is not as big as you might believe. This is so because the sidewall design and rubber compound of a tire mostly influence its rolling speed.
We discovered via outdoor and on specialized measuring equipment rolling resistance testing that a 37mm wide touring tire had more rolling resistance than a 100mm wide fat bike tire. You did indeed hear that right!
The fastest tires include thin sidewall casings made from low "hysteresis loss" materials. After deformation, low-hysteresis-loss tires almost entirely lack energy loss and can restore their previous form.
A "superball" is a low hysteresis loss product; it loses extremely little energy with each bounce; hence, when you drop it from a given height, it bounces back virtually to the original height. Tire compounds operate in the same fashion.
From an aerodynamic standpoint, larger tires are divisible as well. But YouTuber Dylan Johnson visited a wind tunnel and demonstrated that adding 5mm of width just increases drag by 2-3 watts at rates of 35 km/h (22 mph). If you ride mostly on gravel, this is nearly certainly a penalty worth paying.
A further development in gravel bikes is their fit with suspension forks.
New Suspension Fork Options Will Boost Performance
Among vehicles meant for off-road terrain without suspension components, gravel bikes could be the only ones. That is set to change though, since new bike models will feature suspension forks.
Improved front tire traction from suspension forks is their main benefit since it enhances braking performance and cornering grip. In the end, this will help you to feel more confident and in charge on tougher routes.
You can also improve comfort and cut hand tiredness. Testing the HiRide 20mm suspension fork with the Open WI.DE rigid carbon fork, we saw a 6% to 11% decrease in handlebar vibration—this was evaluated under fast gravel road riding and traversing sharp stones.
Recall that the longer you ride, the more influence vibration has; hence, the longer you stay on the bike, the more comfort a suspension fork will bring.
Maybe you ride faster as well. Testing different suspension forks on his gravel bike, Geoff Kabush discovered speed gains of 4.0% to 4.7% at the same power level. Although these tests were sponsored by Fox Suspension and are not particularly scientific, it is quite likely that these speed increases will be seen on rougher roadways.
Among the drawbacks of suspension forks are about 800 grams of more weight, frequent maintenance requirements, poor aerodynamics, and maybe less appealing bike appearance.
But a fork like the HiRide Sterra keeps the hydraulic dampers inside the head tube hidden from outside elements, preserving good aerodynamics and the clean appearance of a gravel bike in addition to extending maintenance intervals. You simply push the lockout button to create a rigid fork when you do not need suspension travel.
Bike designers are now cutting frame head tube lengths while raising rigid fork lengths, even if you have no interest in suspension systems. This allows a frame to fit two kinds of forks; you just choose your preferred.
New Gearbox Choices Will Minimize Bike Maintenance and Wear
Many riders will find great advantage in the newest gearbox and belt-drive gravel bikes.
Because gearboxes and internal gear hubs are weatherproof-sealed, the drivetrain system is remarkably robust and low-maintenance. Match them with belt drives; you won't have to grease or oil a chain ever again.
One Rohloff hub owner has used theirs for over 500,000 kilometers; these drive systems are less prone to breakage than derailleurs, never call for tune or adjustment, and may often last a lifetime!
Moreover, the gear range spans more than any gravel bike drivetrain system and allows gear shifting at any moment, including motionless.
Using electronic drop-bar shifters to guarantee rapid and simple gear changes, the new Pinion Smart Shift system might be the ideal gearbox for gravel bikes.
The fact that this drivetrain system can pace your shifts eliminates the need to slack off pedaling when shifting. Always making sure you pedal at the ideal cadence; it can also automatically change depending on your speed.
Depending on the gearbox or hub model, the extra weight of 1.0 to 1.5 kg, the high cost, and the 2% to 6% decrease in driving efficiency define the drawback of gearbox gravel bikes.
Conclusion
Several new developments will help gravel bikes become better. Expect wider tires for improved comfort and control, designs fit for high-performance suspension forks, gearboxes fitted with ultra-low-maintenance systems, and gearings more suitable for steep climbs.
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