The Ridley Kanzo Fast 2.0 has been revealed as our Gravel Bike of the Year and, in the process, took the overall title in our annual, industry-leading test of the best bikes of 2026.
The Kanzo Fast 2.0 is one of eight bikes shortlisted in the gravel category for this year's Bike of the Year, all of which have been tested over the past 12 months, since the conclusion of the 2025 Bike of the Year test.
Of those eight bikes, three made the podium for the final gravel shootout:
- Ridley Kanzo Fast 2.0
- Giant Revolt Advanced SL 0
- Argon 18 Anti Matter Force AXS
Why did I choose those three bikes for the podium? And why did the Ridley come out on top? Let's get into it...
Gravel race bikes come of age
Like last year, 2026 has been a bumper year for gravel. We’ve seen a widely varied mix of new bikes, from full-suspension options such as Trek’s CheckOUT through to Merida’s lightweight Mission, Specialized’s new Crux with its aero makeover and Orbea’s outstandingly capable Terra.
That's not to mention the emergence of options such as Singular’s groundbreaking Pterodactyl – 32-inch gravel bikes are sure to make a big impact in 2027.
The biggest thing in gravel this year, however, has been the evolution of the gravel race bike. This year’s Bike of the Year top three all come from this subset.
Whereas once gravel race bikes were simply road race bikes with bigger tyre clearances, or ‘re-categorised’ cyclocross bikes, the new generation combines aerodynamics and race geometry with huge tyre clearances and handling that can go far beyond wide-open princess gravel roads. I couldn’t be happier for that.
Now, onto my podium of bikes...
What we've tested – the full 2026 Gravel Bike of the Year shortlist
- Argon 18 Anti Matter Force AXS XPLR review – £7,495 / $8,995 / €8,495
- Argon 18 Dark Matter SRAM Rival XPLR AXS review – £4,500 / $4,650 / €5,095
- BMC Kaius 01 One review – £9,999 / $12,999 / €10,999
- Giant Revolt Advanced SL 0 review – £9,999 / $12,000 / €9,999
- Orbea Terra M21e Team 1x review – £5,299 / $6,299 / €5,999
- Ridley Kanzo Fast 2.0 – £6,299 / €6,999
- Singular Pterodactyl review (rolling chassis) – £3,490 / $3,959 / €3,429.95
- Trek Checkpoint ALR 5 Gen 3 review – £1,700 / $2,099 / €1,999
In third place: Argon 18 Anti Matter Force AXS
Argon 18's Anti Matter blends true aerodynamic design with solid handling and a great spec. The Anti Matter has the most aggressive ride position in this category; it's long and low, and comes with road-bike like geometry (albeit with more trail in the fork for better stability over the bumpy stuff).
The Anti Matter has a great specification, with full Force XPLR AXS, a power meter and Zipp’s second-tier 303 XPLR S wheelset. I love the included Argon 18 x Apidura aero frame bag, too.
Argon 18 should also be praised (as should Ridley) for using a CeramicSpeed SLT headset to cope with the extra grit and grime of gravel riding. Further kudos goes to Argon 18 for adopting a ceramic bottom bracket.
The 55mm tyre clearances meet 2026’s trend towards bigger tyres – and Argon 18 made a running change to the specification, upping the tyres from 45 to 50mm once it saw the direction the tyre trend was heading in.
The Anti Matter is a bike that has been specified with care and attention – from the side-entry bottle cages that mean you can easily use big 750ml bottles even with the frame bag fitted through to the use of ceramic bearings.
The long fork provides much more than the nominal 55mm tyre clearance, and it’s designed with a standard round steerer. That makes the Anti Matter gravel-suspension-fork ready, so you won’t upset the steering geometry should you want to upgrade to a plush, comfort-giving fork.
That’s a good thing because the Anti Matter’s strength is the way in which it handles. There’s an assured stability to the front end that makes the bike excel on fast gravel roads and gives it a road-bike feel on tarmac. However, it can’t quite match the off-road bump-smoothing chops of either the Giant Revolt SL or the Ridley Kanzo Fast 2.0.
In second place: Giant Revolt Advanced SL 0
Giant’s Revolt SL is a new take on the brand's gravel geometry – longer and lower, but with steering geometry to handle the rough. It is, however, the jaw-dropping low weight that puts the icing on a very fast cake.
The Revolt is the most expensive option here, at a pound less than £10,000, or $12,000.
At only 7.72kg, it's road-bike light, and that’s with 45mm gravel tyres.
What makes the Revolt SL special, though, is the ride quality. It’s compliant over rough surfaces, yet light enough for the toughest climbs, both off-road and on it. It’s capable on more technical trails, too, having the nimble, dancing feel of a featherweight racer, but with the capability of a more rugged off-roader.
The lightweight 45mm low-tread Cadex tyres are very quick in dry conditions, although I managed to rip the rear tyre on a long ride. It sealed enough with a couple of tyre plugs to get me the last few miles home (with a few top-ups).
A replacement was fitted and it hasn’t happened again. An element of bad luck was surely at play, although I’d have preferred to make a switch to a larger-volume tyre for more protection and take a small hit in weight increasing anyway.
The Revolt SL is a gravel speedster of epic proportions. It loses out to the Ridley by the smallest of margins, it's significantly more expensive and the tyres have been selected to keep weight down.
I’d prefer the extra level of protection and comfort afforded by a move up to a 50mm tyre (the Revolt can take a maximum 53mm).
Our Gravel Bike of the Year: Ridley Kanzo Fast 2.0 Force AXS XPLR
The Ridley Kanzo Fast 2.0 is the complete gravel race bike. It has standard-setting 58mm tyre clearances, impressive aerodynamics and very forward-thinking geometry.
As with its aero road bike, the Noah Fast, Ridley took a new approach to race geometry. It similarly upped the seat angle to 74.5 degrees to provide the over-the-cranks position common to progressive road geometry, found on bikes such as Factor’s One and our 2026 Race Bike of the Year, the Merckx 525R. At the same time, its slackened 71.5-degree head angle sits between the steeper Argon 18 and more relaxed Giant.
For a race bike, Ridley has gone a little taller with the stack, but with the more forward seated position, it still means you can get into a low-aero-tuck race position easily, and it’s more comfortable to stay down in the drops on the Kanzo than its rivals here.
The Kanzo felt as fast as the Argon 18 on the wide-open gravel roads of my Salisbury Plain test grounds, but outpaced it when it came to the more technical terrain of the woodland singletrack that peppers the perimeter of the plain. In fact, on the twisty and turning tracks, it’s as capable as the flighty, lightweight Giant.
The progressive geometry and forward seated position give a feeling of sitting ‘in’ the bike rather than upon it. It feels wonderfully balanced, stable on unstable surfaces, and on long gravel roads you can get down low in the drops and really power through.
I love the way in which the Kanzo Fast descends, too. The confidence it inspires positively encourages you to take the more aggressive cornering line where on lesser bikes you'd back off.
That’s complemented by the big-volume 55mm tyres, which in MTB fashion have front- and rear-specific treads. That's a smart choice that could only come from designers and product managers who ride bikes.
Add in a wealth of options thanks to a smart online configurator and a price tag that’s very competitive, and the Kanzo Fast is the gravel race bike to beat. In fact, it goes much further than that – it’s the gravel bike to beat, full stop.
Previous Bike of the Year winners (2009-2025)
Our Bike of the Year test has been running since 2009, with past winners including some of cycling’s biggest names alongside breakthrough brands that have earned their place at the top table.
- 2025: Cannondale Synapse Carbon 2 SmartSense
- 2024: Giant Defy Advanced Pro 2
- 2023: Vitus Venon Evo RS Aero
- 2022: Giant Revolt Advanced Pro 0
- 2021: Boardman SLR 9.4 AXS
- 2020: Cannondale SuperSix EVO
- 2019: Rondo HVRT CF0
- 2018: Giant TCR Advanced 2
- 2017: Specialized Roubaix Comp
- 2016: Cannondale CAAD12 105
- 2015: BMC GF01 Disc 105
- 2014: Cannondale Synapse 5 105
- 2013: Giant Defy Advanced 2
- 2012: Focus Izalco Pro 3.0
- 2011: Storck Scenero
- 2010: Cannondale Six Carbon 105
- 2009: Giant TCR Advanced 3
