What Are Road Bikes And Gravel Bikes Designed For?
While road bikes are generally built for the intense demands of racing and speed, gravel bikes are crafted to offer a more enjoyable and versatile riding experience in varied conditions.
Road bikes are designed specifically for high-speed riding on smooth asphalt roads. They are lightweight and agile thanks to their unique geometry and slim tires.
In contrast, gravel bikes are built to conquer adventurous terrains and can easily navigate rough and rocky surfaces. Their geometry leans more towards stability, resulting in an upright body position. The wide tires can absorb rough road vibrations much better than road bikes.
Geometry
Road bikes are designed to meet the demands of racing and speed, while gravel bikes are crafted to offer a versatile riding experience in varied conditions.
Road bikes are designed to provide a responsive, aggressive, and aerodynamic riding position, known as "race" geometry. The main goal is to optimize power transfer and efficiency, enabling riders to achieve their highest performance at high speeds. Road bikes usually have shorter wheelbases, higher heights, and more up-right headtubes, which make your body position flatter, increasing aerodynamics and allowing you to reach your maximum speed. Road bikes have a lower bottom bracket than gravel bikes. This results in a lower center of gravity for riders, improving their confidence when cornering and descending at high speeds.
Gravel bike frames are designed with a slacker headtube angle and a higher stack, which results in a more upright body position for the rider. This upright position provides better stability, control, and comfort while cycling over rough and uneven terrain. Due to the higher stack, gravel bikes typically have a sloping top tube.
In addition, gravel bikes have a longer wheelbase, making them more stable and allowing for larger tires. This longer wheelbase also helps to avoid toe overlap with the front wheel, which is essential for safe handling on rough and technical roads.
Another important feature of gravel bikes is the higher bottom bracket, which provides more ground clearance for the pedals. This feature is crucial when riding on uneven terrain, as it helps to prevent pedal strikes.
Wheels
There are two main differences between road wheels and off-road wheels.
The first one is the rim depth. Since road bikes usually reach higher speeds, many riders prefer deeper wheels of around 40-60mm to gain aerodynamic advantages. ICAN AERO disc series is a best-selling product known for its aerodynamic design. Its rim depth options include 40mm, 50mm, and 55mm.Gravel bike wheels, on the other hand, tend to be shallower, ranging from 30-45mm. The ICAN G24 features a rim depth of 40mm, for instance. This helps to keep the wheels nimble at the typical speeds encountered in gravel riding.
The second difference is the inner rim width. Road bike wheels generally have a maximum inner width of 21mm, whereas gravel bike wheels typically range from 21-25mm. The ICAN G25 features a inner width of 25mm. This added width supports wider tires, allowing for better tire feel when cornering and the ability to run lower pressures. Additionally, the wider inner rim width allows for full utilization of tubeless tires.
18.35mm inner width road bike wheels
Tire Size And Pressure
Tires play a vital role in affecting your bike's performance. Generally, wider tires offer better grip, allowing you better balance and control. On the other hand, thinner tires provide a smoother ride since there is less contact area with the ground, resulting in lower rolling resistance and higher speeds.
Gravel bikes are designed to accommodate wider tires, usually 40mm to 45mm. This helps to improve stability and provide a better grip on uneven surfaces. On the other hand, road bikes usually have narrower tires, 25mm to 28mm, which are designed to optimize speed and minimize rolling resistance on paved roads.
Road bikes are designed to minimize rolling resistance by using a tire with a width of 23-25mm and inflated with 90-100 PSI pressure. This setup allows for faster rolling, but it can also make the ride bumpy. On the other hand, gravel bikes require a wider tire to provide better traction on mixed surfaces. Typically, a tire with a width of 30-40mm and inflated at a lower pressure around 40 PSI is used, which allows the tire to absorb bumps and reduces the risk of punctures.
Road bikes are designed for speed on smooth, paved roads and have narrow, high-pressure tires. On the other hand, gravel bikes are built for rough terrain and have wider, lower-pressure tires that can handle a variety of treads and sizes.
The maximum width of tires that can be used on a bike is determined by the amount of clearance between the forks, seatstays, and chainstays. Gravel bikes usually have wider clearance to accommodate a wider range of tire sizes and treads. This is especially important for wet and muddy conditions, as it allows for enough space to prevent mud from clogging the tires.
Handlebar
Road bikes usually come with shorter and narrower handlebars. The drop part of the handlebar goes straight down to keep the rider's body shape as compact as possible. This reduces the contact area with the wind and improves aerodynamics.
On the other hand, gravel bikes are equipped with flare handlebars. This means the drop part of the handlebar drops on an angle towards the outside of the bike. The flare handlebars give the rider's arms more room to move and maneuver the bike more freely. This improves control and stability while riding on rough terrain.
Gravel Intergrated Handlebar HBG01
Brakes
Disc brakes have been widely used in mountain bikes for a long time. However, they have only recently started to gain popularity among road cyclists. Some riders still prefer rim-style brakes as they are lighter. On the other hand, disc brakes are exclusively featured in gravel bikes. They offer superior stopping power on various surfaces, making them more reliable and efficient.
Gears
Road bikes traditionally have two or three chainrings in the front and a narrower cassette range in the back. This is because road bikes are designed to be ridden at faster speeds and up steep gradients, requiring a large range of gears. Nowadays, cassettes tend to range from 11-28t to 11-34t, and chainrings are generally set up in a 53/39, 52/36, or 50/34 configuration, although other options are also available.
Gravel bikes have a different gearing system compared to regular bikes. They usually come with one or two chainrings. A single chainring eliminates the need for a front derailleur. Gravel cycling is usually done at a slower pace, and riders need larger gears in cassettes to climb steep gravel hills on loose surfaces. Commonly used cassettes have 10-42t to 10-52t. A two chainring setup usually has smaller chainrings, such as 46/30t or 48/31t.
FAQ
Can I use my gravel bike on the road?
Absolutely! Gravel bikes are designed to perform well both on and off-road, making them a popular choice among cyclists who prefer to have a single bike that can handle all their needs. Whether you're commuting to work or hitting the trails, your gravel bike is a versatile and reliable option.
Is a gravel bike more comfortable than a road bike?
Gravel tires may not roll as fast on the road, but they have a wider and lower-pressure design that makes them more comfortable to ride on any type of road surface. Some gravel bikes have rear suspension and an optional front suspension that further enhances the smoothness of the ride.
Is gravel riding harder than the road?
Gravel riding is more challenging than road riding because the gravel's looseness and irregularity create a less stable riding surface, making your bike handle less predictably.
Is a gravel bike suitable for beginners?
A gravel bike is ideal for beginners as it can handle various terrains and surfaces, making it versatile for different riding experiences.