In a nutshell, it's a lovely bike to ride, whether on tarmac or gravel roads, or woodland byways. Giant bills its Revolt bikes as "the perfect way to explore roads you’ve always thought about but never ridden". As lovely as the Bokeh undoubtedly looks, its appearance is pointless if it's not backed by a high-quality ride. If you’re after one of the best all-around, do-it-all bikes, then you’d be hard pushed to find a better option. The aerodynamic Pinarello Grevil gravel bike certainly looks unique, Read more: Pinarello Grevil gravel bike review. If you’ve enjoyed this article, then please consider subscribing to road.cc from as little as £1.99. Adventure Flat White (UK, £440) First up from Adventure Outdoor Co (a sub-brand of Sportline, one of the UK’s biggest bicycle distributors) is the Flat White , part of their series of entry-level bikes. 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. The BMW GS series has always been celebrated but they aren’t without their faults. The rear serves up an additional 30mm of travel, making this full-suspension version of the Cannondale Topstone grippy and planted in corners. by M. W. Byrne. 15mm thru-axle and hydraulic discs on the GT Grade. Read our review of the Claud Butler PrimalFind a Claud Butler dealer. We have researched all specifications & features of more than thousands of best products list of adventure bicycles. You get a SRAM Force 1 groupset, and there’s even dropper post compatibility. The new frame, with its 'floating stays' design, is impressively smooth at the saddle. 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. Whyte's Glencoe combines an aluminium frame with 650B tyres and a very different approach to geometry to provide a supremely relaxed, comfortable and confidence-inspiring gravel bike that excels on rough roads and fast descents. Pedal choice is a matter of personal taste and will be dependent on your riding style. How do you think cyclo-cross was invented? Canyon doesn't rush things. 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. taking a look at our roundup of endurance road bikes for examples of bikes that come close to a gravel and adventure bike. 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. See more: Sonder Camino AL Rival 1 Hydraulic at Alpkit for £1,299, The Kinesis G2 is a great value and versatile adventure bike, Read more: Kinesis G2 adventure bike review. Tags. As standard you should expect disc braking and clearance for wider tires. Despite it’s looks the Topstone Carbon Lefty 3 is exceptionally well balanced. We found the Boardman ADV 9.0 a very fun ride; it was comfortable and gave great control, as did the well thought out kit supplied on it. Their adaptability, versatility and ruggedness makes them the perfect commuter bike, an ideal light touring or audax bike, a great winter training bike, or simply one bike that can tackle any sort of terrain you care to take it along. See more: Scott Addict Gravel 10 at Rutland Cycling from £5,898.99, Dimondback Haanjo 7c Carbon is great value. Gravel/Adventure Bikes Gravel and Adventure bikes are a relatively recent development to take the paths less travelled with speed and finesse - and they can come in many shapes and sizes. British brand Genesis was doing adventure road bikes long before it became the latest trend, and the most recent changes to the Croix de Fer - a lower bottom bracket and taller head tube - took it further away from its cyclo-cross roots and closer to an adventure bike. Our model has Shimano 105 and came in at £1399 / $1525. Read our review of the Canyon Grail CF SL 8.0 SL. In fact, that’s probably the biggest difference between gravel and cyclocross bikes, that along with bottle cage mounts. Ribble’s CGR says what it does on the box – it’s the UK-based brand’s ‘Cross, Gravel and Road bike. Below is our pick of the best gravel bikes. There are several versions to choose from, with the entry £2k model coming with a Aluminum 6060 frame and carbon fork. Fortunately, a high-quality ride the Bokeh most certainly does deliver. Check out my resource on the most durable bikepacking tires to get a good idea for what might suit you best. 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. For those wanting to head off the beaten track, but worry about keeping up, you might want to consider a electric version. Email John with comments, corrections or queries. Best Sport Touring Bike – Best Adventure and Touring Bicycles of 2020. by Jean Whitehead - Last Updated: October 25, 2020. Best Adventure Bicycles In December 2020. Road cyclists have been doing it since the dawn of the bicycle. 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. As far as possible that means recommending equipment that we have actually reviewed, but we also include products that are popular, highly-regarded benchmarks in their categories. Launched back in the early 2010s, the original Escapade was ahead of its time but with the explosion of the whole gravel/adventure market, components have caught up and things like quality 1x groupsets, brilliant hydraulic disc brakes and 650B wheels mean the Escapade can really strut its stuff, especially if you like to chop and change your choice of terrain. Find a Genesis dealerRead our review of the Genesis Croix de Fer. Read our review of the 2020 GT Grade Carbon ExpertRead our review of the 2015 GT Grade Alloy TiagraFind a GT dealer. The Northern Irish brand may be relatively new to the market but founder, Alastair Beckett, is anything but. True, it's no oversized carbon fibre race bike, but it can take plenty of power through what in the modern world looks a tiny bottom bracket junction. The idea behind all these changes is to make for a bike that's more stable at high speed, but still nimble. 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 … Read on for more details on what to look for when shopping for a bike to help you take the trail less travelled. This doesn’t affect the amount you pay. Its weight can sometimes be a limiting factor, though. We've ridden and tested these bikes in real conditions, and this is our pick of the bunch. It’s all depends on where you find yourself riding, and what the conditions are like. You could fit a slick tyre in there or a treaded cyclo-cross tyre if you want to inject more dirt and gravel into your riding. The Cannondale Topstone Carbon Lefty 3 leans much more towards the “fun” end of the gravel spectrum than the “fast” end. On the other hand, more demanding off-road riding may mean that you need to dismount and walk with the bike or put a foot down for stability. Kinesis build the frame from custom drawn 3AL/2.5V titanium tubing, with geometry featuring a low bottom bracket, long head tube and relaxed head angle, something that all these adventure bikes have in common. Its geometry sits you in an effective pedalling position and it handles gracefully and instinctively. If for some reason you don't fancy a steel frame, then check out the CdA and Fugio 10 for a range of aluminium options, and if you want perhaps the ultimate metal-framed gravel bike there's the Croix De Fer Ti at £4,399.99. The rider position is typically more upright than on road bikes, both for comfort over long rides and to allow the rider to move their weight around more easily when negotiating off-road obstacles. The latest versions of the high-end carbon fibre Diverges get the Future Shock 2.0 front shock absorber from the Roubaix range, while the whole range has been redesigned with a slacker head angle, longer frame reach, shorter stems, a higher bottom bracket and longer chainstays. With loads of tyre clearance, it offers plenty of comfort and control to go along with its speed.. There’s a real range in tread patterns available off the peg or fitted to gravel and adventure builds dependent on their intended use. BMW R1250 GS Adventure. While they do look similar, the key difference is in the bigger tyres the former accepts and the modified geometry. The Gradient provides a lovely ride. The Bokeh goes the extra mile with a front dynamo mount, third bottle cage mount, 700C and 650B wheel size compatibility and fully internal cable routing. The bike experts here at The Adventure Junkies have pulled together a comprehensive list of the 10 Best Touring Bikes just for you, to make your life easier and your bike tour more enjoyable. Well done to Great Ormond Street. BMW adventure bike are always epic, so also is the BMW R1250 GS Adventure. And that really appeals to a growing number of British cyclists. The chainstays, seat tube and top tube have ‘flex zones’ designed to deflect bigger impacts than in a traditional fixed-stay frame setup, creating a comfortable ride with a relaxed geometry which inspires confidence. 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. The wheelbase length made descending with heavy bags a stable joy. Once up and rolling, it is quite surprising how quickly this bike can travel, the 38mm tyres singing along on the tarmac. From racing to bikepacking, there’ll be a best gravel bike for you, built ready to cope with the demands of tricky terrain and longer, multi-day off-road rides. Disc brakes allow frame clearances for fatter tyres, making for a bike that can cope with a very wide range of surfaces and that points & laughs at potholes. The Bergamont Grandurance 6 is a well-equipped aluminium gravel bike or adventure road bike. At $2,800.00, the Diamondback Haanjo 7C Carbon offers a carbon frame, excellent GRX shifting and hydraulic disc brakes, paired with a quality pair of tyres representing excellent value. The best gravel bikes will come with wide tyres, with room for extra mud clearance, and nowadays disc brakes as standard. Read our review of the Claud Butler Primal, Read our review of the Bergamont Grandurance 6, Read our review of the Orro Terra C 105 Hydro, Read our review of the Ribble CGR 725 SRAM Apex 1x 650b, Read our review of the Ribble CGR AL Shimano 105, Read our review of the Ribble CGR 725 Tiagra, Read our review of the Ribble CGR AL Tiagra, Read our review of the Genesis Croix de Fer, Specialized has unleashed a major revamp of the Diverge range of gravel bikes, Read our review of the 2020 Specialized Diverge Comp E5, Read our first ride review of the 2021 Specialized Diverge Pro Carbon, Read our review of the 2020 GT Grade Carbon Expert, Read our review of the 2015 GT Grade Alloy Tiagra, Read our review of the Kinesis Tripster ATR here, Here's some more information on how road.cc makes money, Email John with comments, corrections or queries, in: Brexit and the bike industry: how the situation is evolving, in: Female ex-pro denied men's team role due to nude pics, in: Tracey Neuls GEEK Reflective Black Cycle Sneaker, in: Great Ormond St Hospital rated gold for cycle-friendliness, in: Near Miss of the Day 529: Close pass on country lane, in: Latest Zwift update includes improvements to large events, in: road.cc’s Best Cycling Wheels of the Year 2020/21. Like most sites we make a small amount of money if you buy something after clicking on one of those links. No crap, we promise. Best Newsletter on the Planet. The Grail CF SL 8.0 is light, nimble, fun… and that handlebar – laugh as much as you like, it's a clever design that brings a lot to the ride, especially if you want to go fast on a constantly shifting surface. The wide tyres floating around on the smaller aggregate were easy to control thanks to that quick steering, backed up by the lengthy 425mm chainstays which brought a feeling of stability to the whole thing. Adventure and gravel bikes almost exclusively use disc brakes for their better modulation and more consistent stopping in dry, wet and muddy conditions. See more: Liv Devote Advanced Pro at Rutland Cycles for £4,698.99, The Topstone Carbon Ultegra RX scored a rare 10/10 in our review, Read more: Cannondale Topstone Carbon Ultegra review. The Bokeh combines an aluminium frame and carbon fork with all the key ingredients of an adventure bike, including wide tyres, disc brakes, thru-axles, relaxed geometry and mounts for mudguards and racks. Claud Butler's Primal is just about the cheapest gravel bike we've encountered but anybody with limited funds won't feel short-changed as it provides an impressive ride experience across a wide range of terrain. By removing the rim brake caliper you can easily design a frame and fork able to accommodate bigger tyres. Gravel bikes are drop-bar bikes that allow you to veer off paved roads and onto more exciting terrain. The large flare of the handlebars leaves a lot of room for a bulky handlebar bag, whilst also putting your wrist in a more comfortable position. The ‘Strada is arguably the best road performing and sophisticated adventure bike of all. © 2008–present unless otherwise stated. See more: Specialized Diverge Comp Carbon at Rutland Cycling for £3,999.99, Scott Addict Gravel 10 received a Cycling Weekly Editor’s Choice Award. They are also known as dirt bikes. Tyre clearance is good enough for 45mm tyres and the frame is decked out with rack and mudguard eyelets and three sets of bottle cage mounts. "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! Mounts for pannier racks and extra storage will also feature on the best gravel bikes, as will the option for fitting mudguards. I generally recommend flat bars for adventure touring, you can read why HERE. The Ritchey Outback is a steel-framed, carbon-forked gravel and adventure frameset designed for everything from road to bikepacking and off-road touring, with all kinds of gravel in between. The revenue from adverts helps to fund our site. The Light Blue has achieved this without sacrificing stiffness. While in the US gravel roads can range from well-graded packed dirt that almost resembles tarmac, to the crushed and graded limestone you find in the Flint Hills of Kansas. 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. Well, the best sport touring bike is great for long-distance riding and the best sport touring bike will help you on your journey. Classic, Adventure, & Expedition. Choosing the best adventure bike always depends on the driving experience of each person, the budget, and the intended use of the bike. For razzing about in the woods, linking up bridleways, commuting to the office or just plain old road riding, the Digger Pro is very capable. There’s a great range of models and specs available, with our test version coming with Shimano GRX 1x set up Formular rear hub (Lefty specific front) and WTB Byway i23 650b tubeless ready rims and WTB Byway TCS Light tyres. David has worked on the road.cc tech team since July 2012. Thankfully, this jack of all trades is no master of none. We continuously update and republish our guides, checking prices, availability and looking for the best deals. There are seven models in the range, three with aluminium frames and four in carbon fibre with clearance for tyre up to 45mm wide. Almost – the 1290 Super Adventure R is the more off-road ready model, and with its cast wheels, the S is the road-biased version. He's mildly competitive, though he'll never admit it, and is a frequent road racer but is too lazy to do really well. 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. With an Italian hand-built frame, and a superb level of finish and detail it nonchalantly comes along and redefines what a drop-bar bike is capable of being. The ADV 9.0 series is pretty hard to come by now, but the slightly more affordable ADV 8.0 series should provide just as much fun on the road less traveled. We will keep you up to date on the cool stuff only. Surly’s Straggler is a sturdily built and eminently adaptable steel all-rounder. It's composed and comfortable, the titanium frame providing a sublime balance of stiffness and comfort. With mounts for front and rear panniers, as well as some for mudguards and an extra set of bottle bosses on the downtube, many luggage solutions are open to you for bike packing. As long as you can afford spending … Miles spent time exploring the gravel roads on the west coast to find out what it does best. There is room between the stays for 45c tires, but Trek sends the bike out with 40c Bontrager GR1 rubber, so depending on where you ride it may be worth adding burlier bike shoes to your shopping cart. We found it great fun to ride and no slouch on tarmac either. 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. 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. We want you to be happy with what you buy, so we only include a product in a if we think it's one of the best of its kind. Welcome to the latest edition of road.cc’s buyer's guide to gravel and adventure bikes in which you’ll find everything you need to know to find the right gravel/adventure bike for you, plus our pick of 25 of the best gravel and adventure bikes. 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