r/gravelbike

I recently upgraded my 2025 Cannondale Topstone 3 from the stock drive train to GRX hydraulic. Wow, what an improvement, especially for races in PA.

What is the next big bang for the buck upgrade for next year?

I have an endurance bike, but am interested in dipping my toe into the gravel space. I can fit up to 45c tires on my bike, and it seems basically wider is better for the most part, but trying to figure out how to understand pairing semi slick vs knobby tires with different surfaces, as well as what width is required for different surface types. I’ve read people mention champagne gravel, as well as cat 1 (not sure what other categories of gravel are or what any of it looks like), but I was hoping for a more comprehensive breakdown of the types of surfaces and width/tire types for each one so I can figure out how to best set up my wheels. Thanks in advance for all the help.

Stuck choosing a gravel groupset for a hybrid build

Hey all,

I’m after a bit of real‑world feedback from people who’ve actually tried these groupsets.

I’m in the middle of sorting out a new gravel bike that’ll be used mostly on the road (around 60–70%) with the rest being light gravel, bridleways and the usual Chilterns chalky nonsense. Geometry, wheels, tyres , all sorted. The only thing I’m properly stuck on now is the groupset.

I’ve been offered a SRAM Rival XPLR build, which on paper looks spot‑on. The gearing covers pretty much everything I currently get from my Shimano 105 road bike, and the tighter ratios look great for keeping a smooth cadence on tarmac. My only hesitation is whether I actually need wireless shifting. It’s cool, but I do like the simplicity and feel of a mechanical setup. I could also do with the saving.

Then there’s Shimano GRX 820. Loads of good reviews, and I’ve always liked Shimano’s feel and reliability. But the road‑side ratios aren’t quite as tightly packed as SRAM’s, and I’m slightly worried about feeling a bit “gappy” on longer road sections. The mechanical aspect is super attractive to me.

The wildcard is Campagnolo Ekar. On paper the 13‑speed cassette looks like the best compromise for hybrid riding, more road‑friendly ratios without losing the low end for steep climbs. But I’ve seen mixed comments about long‑term reliability and parts availability, so I’m not sure if it’s a sensible choice or a headache waiting to happen. I am also a bit confused as to whether the shifting system works.

If you’ve ridden Rival XPLR, GRX 820 or Ekar, or if you’ve done a similar hybrid build, I’d love to hear how it’s worked out for you. Cheers!

what do you guys ride and what do you prefer?
I liked sram etap on roadbikes better than shimano di2 but how is it with gravel?

what do you think about sram force?

NOT AN AD: I was super suspicious at first, but they are super legit. Just crazy good deals. (this is not an ad) but I just got some Schwalbe tires that are usually like $92 a piece for almost $30 off per tire. Crazy deal.

Hello, for years I´m riding a Stevens Vapor Cyclocross bike and I want to get a new bike and use the Stevens for commuting/bad weather rides in the future. My local bike shop sells Stevens, Ridley and Scott and I found the Scott Addict Gravel 20 to basically tick all the boxes for me. It has a carbon frame, Sram Rival 1x13 electronic goupset and some carbon wheels.

The only thing I don´t really like about it is that the wheels (Syncros Capital 1.0 40) are only 23mm wide internally. Usually I would say I just get the bike, ride it a few months, and then decide whether I would want a new wheelset with more internal width.

But I live in Germany and here we can save quite a good amount of income tax when we get a bike through a bike-leasing company. And since a nice wheelset costs around 1/4 of the whole bike, if not more, I should make the decision before purchasing the bike and add the wheels directly to the bike-leasing.

Unfortunately I don´t have any options to test a wider wheel before I buy it, so I would really appreciate some input if on whether if it is worth it going for a wider wheelset.

I´m more of a heavier rider (~94 kg) and my usual routes look pretty much exactly the same as the Marly Grav race route, a mix of bad roads, farm tracks, forrest paths, very single lane forrest trails. No hills, no extreme rocky paths. Tire width 40-45mm.

Hi, looking for advice for my first gravel bike. Probably going to do more trails in the new Forrest/ South Downs area than road so looking for more trail oriented. What are some good thing to look for and any specific bikes people recommend? Probably looking in the £800-1000 range. Having had a look at gravel bike prices I would be happy buying secondhand to be able to hit that price range 😅.

I Ride a lot but not "for fun" but to get to a Point. What do you recommend?

I’m in the market for a new gravel bike and I’m weighing my options.
I really like the Scott scale gravel 10 or Lauf Seigla but I’d like to know what everyone is riding.
And the Checkpoint isn’t on my list even though I get them at cost. I’ve had 2 and I wasn’t impressed with both the aluminum and carbon model.

I’m really leaning on the State 4130

I own a Specialized Sirrus 2017. Currently maxed out on 700c x 35 tyres.

I ride canal paths, cobbles and tarmac. I like it but it’s very twitchy.

I’ve seen a Sirrus X for about £500, which would take 40-42mm (says ChatGPT)

Would an extra 7mm width help?

Ps I also have a spare set of 27.5/650b wheels with 32mm rims.

Hi all,

For years I've owned a 2018 ALR5 checkpoint that I never use because I don't like riding it. Now i would like to rebuild it to my liking but am unsure what to do.

A short recap on how it ended up this way.

In 2016 I bought a new Trek 520 for commuting to work. After a couple of months my seat tube cracked around the slit on the back. I got a new frame from Trek so only an inconvenience of missing the bike for a couple of weeks. Then it happened on the two framesets after that. Because of this issue and the fact that the framesets in my size (XL) were the same over the years i declined a fourth frameset and demanded my money back or a fitting resolution.

My LBS and Trek finally worked out that I would get the new and upcoming gravelbike the Checkpoint ALR5.

What was not discussed was that I would only get the frameset and not a whole complete bike wich I also had to pay the bike shop to make the parts from the 520 fit on the Checkpoint.

Now I own a Checkpoint with with a 3x9 Alivio/deore groupset with bar end shifters on a , for my liking, a way to deep of a drop handlebar.

I would like to ride the bike again since I now moved somewhere with a lot of gravel roads and some single track.

I liked riding on my girlfriends bike with shimano 105 with drifters but I am also open to something like Grevenalle's shifters and maybe go 1x.

I'd preferably not spent $1000 on a new groupset.

What would you recommend that I do?

Hey everyone,

I’m currently torn between these two bikes. They’re both in a pretty similar price range. On paper, the Cube seems like the better value spec-wise, which is why a lot of people recommend it.

That said, I test rode the Orbea at a local shop here in Germany and really liked the ride feel. As someone who’s new to gravel cycling, that made a pretty big impression on me. I’ve been riding a Carver mountain bike for the last 10 years, so I don’t have much experience judging gravel bikes based on technical details yet.

The dealer also mentioned that customer support and warranty service for both brands are equally good where I live, so that’s not really a deciding factor.

One thing I keep seeing online is complaints about the wheels on the Orbea Terra M30. I’m not sure how much of a real-world issue that would be for me though, considering I’d probably ride around 2,000 km a year.

At this point, I’m mostly deciding based on ride feel and overall ownership experience rather than pure specs. Would love to hear your thoughts or experiences with either bike.

I bought my first “adult” bike last year — a Cannondale Topstone 3 — and it’s been great so far. I’m thinking about switching from flat pedals to clipless pedals this season.

From the research I’ve done, I’m leaning toward the Shimano PD-EH500 pedals. Since I ride both roads and trails, MTB-style SPD pedals seem like the better option for me. I also do a lot of casual riding, so I like the idea of having one flat side that works with normal shoes.

At the start of the season I usually ride around 20–40 km, but later in the summer I’m typically doing 80–100 km rides. This year I’m hoping to ride from Toronto to Niagara Falls, which should be around 160 km.

If anyone has recommendations for pedals or shoes, I’d appreciate it. I noticed the Adidas Velosamba Leather shoes are on sale, but I’m not sure if they’re more of a casual cycling shoe than something suited for longer rides. I’d be interested in hearing about other shoe options too.

thinking about a new set...