Here is a recurrent choice to make, with the new trends of cycling practices in recent years, and the resulting evolution of the manufacturers' offer: should you choose a road bike or a gravel bike?
Even though they are very similar in many ways, these two types of bikes differ in several features. Of course, it's your riding style that will determine which is the best option. But with bikes becoming more and more versatile, and the boundaries between different cycling practices becoming thinner and thinner, it's not always easy! Here's our guide to what type of bike you should choose for your next adventure ;)
With their slim, airy look, road bikes are specifically designed and equipped for speed on smooth surfaces, although some models leave the door open for a more adventurous and comfortable ride.
The frames of road bikes are light and rigid, and their geometry proposes an "aggressive" position with a rather low riding position compared to a rather high saddle, all this with an objective of performance by allowing an optimal transfer of the energy between the cyclist and his machine. The tires are thin (usually 25mm) and the transmission favors large developments (large chainring with more than 50 teeth, cassette rarely with more than 30 teeth). All these specificities make road bikes extremely fast, and therefore unbeatable on asphalt. If your goal is speed on asphalt, if you want to tackle the KOMs of the Camilien Houde climb or the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, or if you don't venture out on gravel roads, a road bike like the BMC Teammachine or the Specialized Tarmac is definitely the choice.
But apart from perfectly smooth asphalt and a focus on pure speed, they can also be less comfortable or less easy to handle on slightly rougher roads. For this reason, a small family within the large family of road bikes, the endurance road bikes, offer geometries that are less demanding on the rider's position. They also have softer developments, and wider tire sections for a softer feel. In addition to increased comfort on the road, endurance models can be, as we'll see later, an excellent choice for keeping the door to off-road adventure open...
Gravel bike: for whom, for what?
The characteristics that make a gravel bike special tend towards one goal: to be as versatile as possible and more comfortable than a traditional road bike on winding and rough roads.
For example, gravel bikes generally have wider, notched tires, and therefore more spacing in the fork and seatstays to accommodate these wider tires. This gives the feeling of a bike that is less aerial and more anchored to the ground. This feeling is further enhanced by the fact that the frame is generally a bit heavier (although some high performance gravel bikes are almost as light as road bikes), and a bit softer than a road bike to absorb more efficiently the shocks and jolts of the more irregular surfaces. The transmissions also differ: gravel bikes offer groupsets with smaller chainrings in the front and larger cassettes in the rear. These smoother developments make it easier to pedal on more demanding trails and offer a wider range of gears. Less suitable for the road when you want to ride above 45 or 50km/h, but definitely more versatile and accessible when the slope gets steep or the roads more tortuous!
The gravel bike offers comfort, maneuverability and optimal performance on rough trails, where the classic performance-oriented road bike is quickly limited by its thin tires, aggressive stance and speed-oriented developments on flat roads. So if you want to ride primarily on dirt or gravel trails, look no further than a gravel bike like the BMC Urs, Devinci Hatchet or Specialized Diverge. Their equipment and geometry make them unbeatable on trails, and with a small change of tires, good performance can still be achieved for occasional road rides...
An all-roads bike, is that even possible?
With the evolution of the offer and the practices that tend more and more towards adventures on all types of surfaces, it can be interesting to go for a versatile bike like an endurance road bike or a performance gravel.
You can invest in a second set of wheels with different tires to give you a wide range of possibilities. With a gravel bike, this will allow you to go fast on a flat road if you invest in wheels with smooth tires, while having a forgiving set-up if you venture out on trails. This can save you from having two different bikes (with the space, maintenance and budget issues that can represent), or from feeling limited if you only have one very typical bike. Moreover, in a region like Quebec where even paved roads are often quite rough, having a comfortable and versatile bike can be a good option, even with a fairly road-oriented practice!
Let's take the example of a cyclist who juggles, sometimes in the same outing, between the road and some well-trodden paths, such as the gravel tracks found in the Eastern Townships or the dirt tracks of the P'tit train du Nord. Here, buying a gravel bike like the BMC Kaius is a good idea. The Kaius is perfect for rough roads with its 40mm notched tires, but buying a pair of wheels with smoother tires and a thinner section will increase its possibilities to go fast on asphalt as well, and thus have a very versatile practice. Especially if you take into account the geometry of its frame, which gives a rather aggressive position on the bike for a gravel, perfect to split the air on the asphalt.
In the same vein, turning to an endurance road bike like the BMC Roadmachine or Specialized Roubaix is a good choice. Designed as road bikes with smooth tires, they won't disappoint when it comes to moving fast on the road, but their relaxed riding position makes them comfortable on the trails. A version with a 30-tooth cassette or more will do quite well for any type of riding. For occasional rides that will be mainly on dirt or gravel roads, the maximum tire section is 33mm for both bikes, so there is room for a second set of wheels with wider, notched tires, specific to more adventurous gravel rides.
You now have all the keys in hand to prepare the purchase of your future road and trail companion!
Shop now for our road bikes and gravel bikes on our website. And if you're looking for inspiration for your next adventure on two wheels, check out our bikepacking trip from Montreal to Boston! This is a great route to take with a versatile bike, from nice paved roads to rougher gravel tracks.
Get ready for the start of the season :)
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