12 best gravel bikes of 2023, according to real riders
From CNN.com
By , CNN Underscored
Gravel bikes — versatile, beefed up road-style bikes with fatter tires and off-road friendly gearing — are the fastest-growing style of bike today, with sales increasing by 109% since 2019. It’s not hard to see why since they appeal to pretty much any type of cyclist. Hardcore mountain biker? Spandex-clad roadie? You’ll both like gravel, and more and more riders are hitting unpaved roads across the United States to try the new discipline.
Gravel bikes have drop bars like road bikes, but with more relaxed frame geometry and lower gearing so you feel more stable on rough, rolling terrain but can still cruise while riding pavement. Wider tires with lots of tread mean you can easily handle dirt or gravel. While they’re not typically meant for extremely technical and rocky terrain, if you’re an experienced off-road rider, you can still take some of the gravel bikes out on flowy singletrack and have plenty of fun.
“Gravel riding gives you the freedom to explore and head off the beaten path, especially if you are coming from a road cycling background,” says Massimo Alpian, a cycling industry veteran and current board member for Ride for Racial Justice. “With this category exploding over the past several years, there are so many options now.”
Ready to call yourself a gravaficionado? We talked with various gravel grinding experts to get the lowdown on the best gravel bikes for all abilities. Whether you’re a first-timer hopping on the gravel ribbon or an experienced cyclist looking to get into bikepacking, here are some of our favorites.
