[music] Simon Richardson: I think that after seven
or so years, we, cyclists, are now starting to get our heads around just what a gravel
bike is. Certainly, under any GCN video featuring gravel bike, there are far fewer comments
these days saying, "Gravel bike? What's the point? It's just a road bike with bigger tires,
a hybrid, a cyclocross bike. It's just a mountain bike from the '90s. Just pointless." In recent
years, here on GCN, we've compared gravel bikes to road bikes, gravel bikes to cyclocross
bikes, and gravel bikes to cross-country mountain bikes.
I really feel like we've got to the point where we truly understand what the point of
a gravel bike is and what its strengths really are.
Alex: Hold up, Richardson. Hold up. What do you think of this, my gravel bike?
Si: Oh my God, Alex, what have you done? Alex: I've opened up Pandora's box. That's
what I've done. This is what it is. Do you think you know gravel bikes well? Not yet,
you don't, because this is gravel bike versus gravel bike. Come on inside.
Oh my God. Si: Okay, jokes aside, we do know what gravel
bikes are, but isn't it cool you can have so much choice? You can either buy or build
up a bike that is tailored to your exact requirements whilst also still resting easy in the knowledge
that no matter what gravel bike you do build-up, it's still going to be super versatile.
Alex: To show you the differences, we've built up two bikes at the complete opposite ends
of the gravel bike spectrum. We're going to push them to their limits and see how they
are. Si: What a minging day. Now, my bike is the
Salsa Warbird and I've expected it to be as paired down and as fast as possible. Salsa
can and, in fact, do lay claim to having made the first gravel-specific bikes. They've been
involved in gravel racing since gravel racing began. This is their latest weapon. Shimano
have very kindly supplied two GRX group sets for us to use. Alex and I, as you can imagine,
we're more than happy to ride them, but it's also a great way of showing the versatility
of GRX. Alex: Speaking of versatility, I've even mixed
in some of Shimano's XT mountain bike components here. I've got XT chainset and the cassette
as well. What I think this is, it's a Mason InSearchOf and it's a forward-thinking steel
frame that is- it's an adventure bike ready to take you anywhere. One of the most striking
things on this bike are these massive tires I've got in here. I've got 2.3-inch tires
which, by gravel bike standards, are pretty big.
To enable this bike to fit such wide tires, it's got boost spacing which is a technology
drawn from mountain bikes and is why I've got a mountain bike chainset on here. We've
got a much wider seat stay area than what we traditionally have on a bike. If you were
to switch down to a slightly smaller 650b wheel, you can even fit 2.6-inch tires on
this bike, which is even more impressive and can enable you to go on far more aggressive
terrains. I've also got a dropper seat post. Again, technology drawn from mountain biking.
To operate that, I've got my GRX left-hand lever, so I've got a nice slick setup for
that. Sticking at the front of the bike, we've still got a drop bar, but it's incredibly
flared, and I'm using Shimano's GRX dual control levers. These two bikes might not be peas
in a pod, but they are definitely related. If you want to check out how we built these
bikes that well, we've got a video detailing that over on the tech channel, so it's worth
checking out too. Si: We are not going to race these bikes head-to-head.
Instead, we are going to take in a leisurely ride with some gravel, some forest single
track, and some tarmac and we're going to take you guys with us.
Alex: When was the last time you ever went for a leisurely ride?
Si: That is a good point, Alex. Might have been 2014?
Alex: A little while ago. Si: Alex?
Alex: Shall we? Si: Let's do it.
Alex: Come on. Si: Now, you look good on that. I made a lot
of work of that. Right now we're rolling. We thought we'd tell you about the bikes a
little bit more. Firstly, Alex, you got your set up one by, right?
Alex: Being a rowdy gravel bike, this is what it's all about, it's all about being extreme.
Si: The other reason that we've got to talk about, that you've got an XT crankset on there.
Reason being is that Mason have designed a bike to have a boost, and it allows you to
design in more tire clearance, basically. Alex: Yes.
Si: You can't get a GRX crankset with boost. Alex: No.
Si: Because it's all part of the Shimano ecosystem, it all fits together. Now I, on the other
hand, am at the complete opposite of the spectrum with my two-by set-up. I've got a 48 tooth,
big ring, compared to Alex's 34. Alex: Yes.
Si: If the speed ever picks up today, Alex, then, I wouldn't say I'd leave you choking
in my dust, but probably floundering in my wake of mud, is more appropriate, yes. Honestly,
Alex, this was gravel in August. Alex: Yes, yes.
Si: You've just got to take my word for it. Alex: Whatever. Before we tackle this first
bit of single track, it's important to note one of the big evolutions in gravel bikes'
short history is, the change to tackle more demanding terrain, much more like what you'd
take on a mountain bike. Why is that? Because it's just good fun, isn't it?
Si: It is good fun, yes. For a road rider who is just venturing onto dirt or in this
case mud, for the first time, it might seem like it's a bit of a handful, but a lot of
us out there have got our roots in mountain bike or cyclo-cross, and so it kind of feels
a little bit like coming home. Alex: Yes.
Si: It is different, but it is great. Go on mate, I think you'd better lead on.
Alex: Right, come on then. Let's do this. Drop and post activated.
Si: Don't rub it in. Whoa. Alex: Come on, Si.
Si: Oh my God. Alex: [laughs] Come on. I'll tell you what.
That was good fun, isn't it? Si: Oh my word, yes it is.
Alex: I'm amazed at how much grip I've got, not only the amount of grip but the control
and stability of these big wide tires and the geometry of this bike over the roots and
rough terrain. I'll tell you what, it's really impressive.
Si: Yes. Now, I definitely didn't have quite the same level of control as you, but I do
have to say I love riding difficult terrain on a traditional gravel bike or a cyclo-cross
bike. It pushes the bike to its limits, it pushes me to my limits. It's not as fast,
but it's still super good fun. I know that sounds ironic coming from a man that expects
his bike to be as fast as possible, but it's a different type of thing, isn't it, being
slow on the road because your bike's holding you back I find really frustrating, but being
slow off-road because you're really having to work the bike, I find really quite rewarding.
Alex: We're both having just as much fun. Si: Yes, we are, aren't we? Thankfully, we
both stayed upright. Alex: Yes. One more thing, actually.
Si: Go on. Alex: Impressed? Yes. [laughs]
Si: I'm quite impressed actually. Come on. Come on then.
Yes, there's a lot of options. We've just hit one final section of tarmac before the
end of our ride, and at this point, I would have thought that the narrower gravel tires
on my bike would mean that I could roll a lot faster than the wider 29er mountain bike
tires on Alex's bike. No, apparently not. Alex, I have found this website called bicyclerollingresistance.com,
which is an absolute treasure trove of nerdery. They test in a lab road tires, gravel tires,
mountain bike tires. I spent quite a lot of time on there looking
at the test results for mountain bike and gravel tires, and it seems that wider mountain
bike tires can roll typically about five watts per wheel faster than a gravel tire because
the wider carcass basically rolls more efficiently in a lab enough to offset the extra tread
that you typically get on a mountain bike tire, which has kind of blown my mind.
Alex: A little bit. It is pretty impressive, yes. I'm very impressed. Even with that lower
rolling resistance it's not helping me out much when I've got a 34-tooth chainring, and
you've got a whacking great with 58-tooth. Si: 58?
Alex: Yes. Si: No, it's a 48, but, yes still.
Alex: Oh, 48, oh God. [unintelligible 00:09:41] Si: It is pretty big, yes. That is a big difference
actually, is that in my two-by setup I've got gears far better suited to riding on tarmac,
that is for sure. I'll stay with you mate. Alex: Ah, cheers, yes. Thanks.
Si: Yes, as tempting as it is to ride home as fast as I possibly can and get warm. I'll
stay with you, spinning away. Alex: [unintelligible 00:10:01], yes.
Si: You're actually-- Look at that thing. Whee. [laughs] Check it out, the gravels got
gnarly. Alex: Yes.
Si: We've gone from smooth manicured gravel to- I believe chunky gravel is the term.
Alex: Yes, that's right. It's rocky track. Si: Yes, basically.
Alex: These wide tires, continental-wide tires I've got on, 2.3s they are, they're coming
into their own on this rocky terrain. While I'm going over the big rocks with ease, you're
really having to sort of finesse and work the bike to get over them.
Si: I am, I've got a traditional 40-mil wide gravel tire. It does make a big difference
on this, doesn't it? Whilst it sounds like a so simple thing, talking about tire clearance,
actually when you fit bigger tires on like that, there's a whole load of knock-on ramifications
that a bike brand has got to factor in. The wider the tires, the further away from that
nimble road bike like feel that you get with a more traditional gravel bike like this one.
So, it is very much like the spectrum, isn't it?
Alex: Yes, it covers all of it. Si: Bonkers. What a difference tire width
makes. Alex: Yes.
Si: Back up to the top? It's quite a long climb actually.
Alex: Come on. Let's get going. Si: Although we are definitely both riding
bikes with drop handlebars, it does feel a little bit like we're on completely different
machines. Alex: They are very different.
Si: Yes. You're about twice my size. Alex: I am very high up on this. [laughs]
Si: You look like you're on a monster truck. Alex: A very short monster truck.
Si: Yes, you've got a nice position for technical riding, I guess. I suppose I could get a position
similar to yours on this, whereas I guess you'd have to compromise that bike if you
were going to try and get a position similar to this.
Alex: Yes, but that's what this bike's about, it's about being rowdy and extreme, that's
it. That's why I built it. Si: [chuckles] You do look rowdy and extreme
mechanic. Alex: Words never used to describe me. [laughs]
Si: Alex, put it there. Alex: Cheers, man.
Si: That was a seriously good ride. Alex: That was good.
Si: Even though it was absolutely freezing cold, and chucking it down with rain for the
whole time. Alex: Yes. Not optimal. It's been amazing,
we've really highlighted the differences between these two bikes, even though of course they
are both gravel bikes, and it's been great fun as well, hasn't it?
Si: It has, yes. I guess it shows, doesn't it, there is no such thing as a gravel bike.
A gravel bike is like a mountain bike, which is to say that you could have a cross-country
hardtail or you can have a downhill bike, although they are both still mountain bikes
they are completely different. What's different here, though, is that you would never want
to take a downhill mountain bike for a bike ride, would you?
Alex: [laughs] I wouldn't no. Si: Whereas actually, the nice thing about
gravel bikes is you can ride them no matter what end of the spectrum they're on. The thing
I've taken from this though, mate, is the fact that we're using drop handlebar bikes
in these foul conditions, it's not that long ago that we were racing cyclo-cross on road
group sets with a smallest gear of 39, 28, and now because of a lot of the mountain bike
tech that's come over to make a gravel-specific group set like GRX, they just work flawlessly,
don't they? Alex: It works perfectly, and it's exactly
suited for the job it's intended for. Si: Isn't it, just?
Alex: Perfect. Si: There we go. That was cool. To anyone
who doesn't like in the UK, yes, this is what UK gravel-riding is like. Living the dream.
Please give this video a big thumbs up if you enjoyed it, and remember that you can
head over to GCN Tech now and watch a build video of these two bikes going together and
a little bit more information about the products that we've been using as well.
[00:14:00] [END OF AUDIO]