GRAVEL BIKES HAVEN'T BEEN around for that long in the grand scheme of road-bike things, but in the decade or so since they arrived, they've become a lot more diverse. There's now everything from superlight and aero race bikes to those you could happily travel around the world on.
01 Gravel specifics
What's different on a gravel bike compared to a road bike? Well, potentially quite a lot: wheel-size options (650b or 700c?), generous tyre width (preferably tubeless), flared handlebars, gravel-specific groupsets with a good spread of gears (usually on 1x chainrings), possible dropper seatposts and suspension, scope for mounts and racks, down-tube protectors.... Then there's different geometry and other frame details and accessories to suit to the purpose.
02 Hangin' tough
Some bikes are made for the real rough stuff plus load carrying. Focus, for example, which originally got into the gravel/all-road space early with 2016's Paralane, an endurance bike that was built to take shortcuts on paths less travelled, has a much sturdier new offering. The Atlas Carbon in this test is a full-on, off-roadready ride, coming with a wider Boost rear hub to take a stronger mountain bike wheelset so it can carry heavy loads and take on tough terrain.
03 Off-road speed
More and more super-speedy rigs are popping up to service the demand for gravel racing. This type of bike is very streamlined, but with bigger tyre clearances and more stability than its on-road counterparts. Specialized's Crux fits this mould. It takes its cues from the featherlight road-race-bike the Aethos, producing a gravel-specific frame that weighs just 825g (56cm) and can take huge 47mm tyres. Italian brand Basso's speedy Palta is based on the superbikes in its line-up, but tunes its speed for the rough.
04 Very versatile
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Air Apparent - Pollution hasn't gone away. It's still there in every lungful, even if we can't see it in the air or on the news. But there are reasons to breathe easier, thanks to pioneering projects using cycling 'citizen scientists'. Rob Ainsley took part in one...
The toxic effects of pollution have been known about for years. 'Just two things of which you must beware: Don't drink the water and don't breathe the air!' sang 1960s satirist Tom Lehrer.Over recent decades, though, pollution has dropped down our list of things to worry about, thanks to ominously capitalised concerns such as Climate Change, AI, Global Conflict, Species Collapse, etc. That doesn't, unfortunately, mean the problem has expired. Air quality often exceeds safe limits, with far-reaching and crippling effects on our health.
No limits
Not every adventure needs to be that epic, says bikepacking Scotland founder Markus Stitz
UNBOUND UNLEASHED
Josh Patterson was one of 34 starters for the inaugural edition of Unbound in 2006. Now, with more than 5,000 riders taking part in today's event, he charts the rise of the most important race in gravel
FOREST COMMISSION
Looking for a goal race in 2025 that'll stimulate the synapses and live long in the memory? You'd struggle to do better than ENID CRV in Finland
15 OF THE BEST ADVENTURES
Featuring Yorkshire, the USA, Sri Lanka and more, here are our picks of the world's greatest gravel races and routes
The stuff of dreams
Ned sings the praises of the Paris Olympics road-race course
"I rode 3,000 miles around Britain on a bamboo bike to highlight our climate crisis"
Recordbreaking cyclist and triathlete Kate Strong, 45, took to the road to raise awareness of environmental issues
FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE
We venture into the hidden gem of the glorious Creuse, one of France's least populated regions
STAR TREK
New tube shapes and carbon lay-up makes the eighth generation of Trek's legendary Madone an aero and climbing bike all rolled into one
GOLD RUSH
With conflict around the world, Paris 2024 was a ray of light. Here are our highs of a mighty Olympics
