Gravel is currently the most exciting cycling discipline. Gravel racing has changed rapidly from the realm of plucky amateurs to a full-blown professional racing scene and the tech has evolved to keep pace.
The initial crop of specialist gravel race bikes were essentially road race bikes with slightly larger clearance and tweaked geometry. That’s all changed in the last couple of years, with the gravel bikes now offering massive clearance as riders realise that traction, stability and mud clearance are essential for success.
At the same time, 32-inch wheels are bubbling under for gravel, as for XC mountain biking. Most brands are approaching 32in cautiously, held back by the lack of component choices, but an increasing number of 32in gravel bikes are being launched.
Meanwhile, ultra-distance gravel riders are demanding more capable bikes for long-distance rides and suspension is becoming an important consideration.
At present, barely a week goes by without an announcement of a new gravel bike that is lighter, faster or more capable, invariably with larger tyre clearance. Below are five new gravel bikes that have got us excited about the direction of travel in gravel bike design.
Scott Addict Gravel
While many of its competitors have gone aero with their latest gravel bikes, Scott has focused on low weight, shaving 75g off its previous-generation Addict Gravel to reach a claimed 794g for the HMX frameset, with a 7.8kg claimed weight for the top spec in size M.
The frame is less stiff, too, which Scott says increases traction, and there’s a new cockpit with a forward sweep and drops shaped to fit your palms.
Tyre clearance has ballooned to 57mm, and both stack and reach have been increased, paired with shorter stems. There’s greater bottom bracket drop and increased fork rake, although the chainstays remain at a road-bike like 425mm despite the increased clearance.
Scott has hidden a tool kit under the down tube and more tools in the bar ends, while there are bags to match and fork-leg mounts that don’t use the standard positioning and place the load further rearwards for better handling.
There’s no 32in wheel version of the Addict Gravel though, despite Robin Gemperle winning this year’s Unbound XL on a prototype.
Factor Elara
While Scott hasn’t gone aero with its new gravel bike, Factor has with the Elara, which replaces the Ostro Gravel and, Factor says, has aerodynamics on a par with road bikes.
It’s another gravel bike that can handle 57mm tyres, while keeping short chainstays – in this case 423mm. Reach has increased from the Ostro Gravel, but trail has decreased and there’s a wide-stance fork akin to that of the Factor One aero road bike.
Despite the clearance, the Elara can still be set up 2x as well as 1x, while in-frame storage helps keep draggy spares out of the way. Black Inc, Factor’s component brand, has supplied a new cockpit and 64mm-section, 30mm-internal-width wheels to match the Elara.
Winspace G5
Winspace is one of a growing number of Chinese bike brands making their presence felt for Western riders. Its G5 aero gravel race bike costs around half as much as established brands’ offerings. It, too, has in-frame storage and big clearance, bettering Scott and Factor by 1mm at 58mm at the front, although with 53mm at the rear.
Winspace says an unpainted size-M frame weighs 950g and a frameset costs only £1,650 / $2,200 / €1,933. You can buy a complete bike with carbon wheels and a Winspace Adventure one-piece carbon cockpit for between $4,799 with GRX RX825 Di2 and $5,999 with Force XPLR AXS. Pay an extra $500 and you can swap in a RockShox Rudy Ultimate XPLR 30mm-travel suspension fork.
Mosaic GT i55 32
While Scott has shied away from 32in wheels, they’ve been embraced by Mosaic Cycles for its titanium gravel bike. Mosaic claims the bike has been designed from the ground up for 32in wheels, whereas it suggests other brands adapt an existing 700c frameset for the larger wheel size.
It reckons it has overcome the disadvantages of the larger wheels: higher stack, longer wheelbase, increased toe overlap and longer chainstays. In return, 32in wheels offer potentially better roll-over of rougher trails, greater momentum and increased stability.
A new carbon fork helps reduce stack and offers 55mm tyre clearance. A curved seat tube and 3D-printed chainstay yoke help keep chainstay length down to 445mm or less and retain a standard gravel chainline despite using Boost axle spacing.
Quirk Kegety
Mosaic says its gravel bike will in future move from custom to small-batch builds, but London-based Quirk Cycles already uses small-batch production with stock geometry for its steel Kegety gravel bike.
Made of Columbus Life steel with a 3D-printed head tube, seat cluster and dropouts, it’s a bike focused squarely on gravel adventure riding and is based on owner Rob Quirk’s bike designed for the inaugural Silk Road Mountain Race.
There’s 50mm tyre clearance, while Quirk fits an ENVE gravel cockpit and fork, with a Chris King headset. It prices the Kegety frameset at £4,999 with full builds from £10,550.
