Best entry-level gravel bikes 2025

How to choose the best entry level gravel bike?

Gravel bikes are incredibly versatile but with that ver💟s𓂃atility comes an overwhelming abundance of choice and it can be difficult to pinpoint exactly what is the best gravel bike for your needs. With that in mind, we'll break down some crucial factors to consider when purchasing your entry-level gravel bike...

What should I look for in an entry-level gravel bike?

• Frame material: Typically, most entry-level gravel bikes will be constructed with aluminium. Put simply, it's light, durable and affordable. Some gravel bikes. Aluminium is the most common material at entry level, it's light, durable, and affordable. Some bikes—like the Triban GRVL520—also come with carbon forks to reduce front-end vibration and save weight.

• Tyre clearance: Wider tyres (40–50mm) offer more comfort and control off-road. If you’re planning to ride gravel trails or fire roads, aim for clearance of at least 42mm.

• Mounting points: The best entry-level gravel bikes come with mounts for racks, mudguard🔥s, and mul♒tiple bottles, making them ready for commuting, touring or bikepacking.

• Drivetrain: Look for a wide gear range. A 2x setup offers more fine-tuned control, while a 1x drivetrain is simpler and great for off-road adventures. If you’re riding steep hills, we'd recommend a gravel bike with a sub-1:1 gear ratio.

What type of gravel bike should I buy?

Gravel bikes can be used in a variety of different riding contexts. Therefore, the best gravel bike ultimately depends on what you'll be doing most:

• Bikepacking and touring: Durab🙈ility, mounting options and comfort are the name of the game here. Steel frames are definitely recommended and we'd suggest fitting wider tyres too.

• Commuting: Look for bikes with rack and fender mounts, puncture-resistant tyres, and a more upright geometry for comfort and visibility. It might be worth considering step-through options too.

• Mixed terrain/adventure riding: You’ll want larger tyre clearance, wide-range gearing, and stable geometry for better control on loose surfaces. The Marin Nicasio 1 is a great option that gives you the best of both worlds.&nbs꧃p;

Are all gravel bikes the same?

Gravel bikes are increasingly divergent, so it's worth considering what you might want to use your entry-levꦏel gravel bike for.

At the pointy end of the gravel bike market are gravel race bikes. These will offer a lit⛦tle more tyre clearance than the best road bikes, although, with the ever-increasing space between the stays of road bikes, even that isn't a given.

But a gravel race bike will have a more stable geometry than a road bike, for a less edgy ride. It will also seat you in a more comfortable ride position, as gravel♓ races are typical🔯ly over long distances.

At the other end of the spectrum are gravel bikes designed for bikepacking. They'll usually have very wide tyre clearance, and low gearing and will often be equipped with 650b wheels for a mo🌜re comfortable ride when loaded up.

Should I buy something specific or versatile?

When buying an entry-level gravel bike, it's common not to have a deep understanding of the type of gravel riding you'll prefer. You're new to this after all. So if you're not sure what you're going to want to do on your gravel bike, it's worth looking for a bike that can handle a range of duties from bikepacking and 🥀racing through to setting up with mudguards and a rack for commuting.

Most entry-le🅷vel gravel bikes are designed to handle all of the above, but it's worth checking that you can mount everything you might need if you're contemplating trying bikepacking. Likewise, make sure that there's plenty of tyre clearance if you might want to try 🌺out more challenging terrain. If where you live gets muddy over the winter, extra clearance may also help keep you rolling more easily and avoid mud accumulation on your frame.

What wheel size is best for my first gravel bike?

Start looking for a gravel bike and it won't take long before you find yourself presented with a choice of wheel size. When it comes to the 澳洲幸运5开奖官网在线查询开奖结果:best road bikes&꧑nbsp;it's al☂most unheard of to find anything other than 700c wheels. Start looking at off-road frames and there's a lot more variability. 650b, also sometimes referred to as 27.5-inch wheels, are a common option and some frames work with both options. How do you decide which is best for you?

The simplest breakdown is that a 700c wheel is more desirable for less technical riding and a 650b wheel works better for rougher riding. It's actually much more nuanced, and less critical than that might sound but that's an easy place to start. You can do a lot to fine-tune your set-up by choosing the 澳洲幸运5开奖官网在线查询开奖结果:best gravel tyres for the♋ type of riding and the conditions you expect.

What material should my first gravel bike be made from?

The vast majority of bike frames, gravel or otherwise, use carbon or aluminium for the frame. To a lesser extent, you can also find titanium or steel frames on the market and we've highlighted the unique magnesium alloꦅy Vaast above. Like wheel size, each m🐬aterial has advantages but their downsides won't hold you back.

The least common options are steel and titan🥃ium. Steel was at one point the only option for bike frames but as lighter, stiffer, options became available steel nearly disappeared. In today's world steel and titanium find their place mostly with small custom builders.

Both metals flex in a predictable fashion and those who know how to take advantage of that can tune a frame. Titanium is lighter but it's also more expensive and harder to work with. Steel is an excellent choice if you plan to be i෴n remote areas of the world. It's heavier but it's easy to work with and any craftsman who can weld an axle can fix a broken steel frame.

How many chainrings is best for my first gravel bike?

Commonly you will see this referred to as 1x or 2x but call it what you want, it refers to how many gears you have available. 1x11 for example would mean 11 total gears while 2x11 would be 22. More is not always better though so it's not a clear-cut decision, as there's overlap between the gear ratios on the two rings in a 22-speed set-up, so the actual discrete number of gear ratios you get may not🌌 be many more than with a single ring, although you may have smaller jumps between them mid-range.

The 🌞primary argument in favour of 1x gearing is simplicity. Many people will tell you it's less weight and less to break but in use, those are minimal concerns. What you will notice, on every ride, if you choose a 1x drivetrain is the simplicity of n🎉ot worrying about the front chainring.

If you want easier 🐲gear, move up the cassette and if you need harder move down. It's especially handy when the riding gets rough and you've got a lot going on. Sounds pretty good, so why would anyone ever choose 2x?

The extra gears available with 2x make it easier to find the perfect gear. Two chainrings in the 🀅front a꧋llow for both more range and less space between gears. Mud clogging can be exacerbated by a front derailleur though, which can stop working properly if this gets really bad.

Bikepackers who need exceptionally easy gear ra𒐪tios for carrying supplies up steep grades often want 2x, or even 3x, to find enough range. Fast riders who spend a lot of time racing might also want to optimise cadence ♓with a 2x setup

Why not choose the lowest priced entry-level gravel bike?

At the cheaper end of 💮the market, gravel bikes often come equipped with road-going groupsets. These may not give you the gear range to tackle off-road steep sections, so ⛄you might find yourself walking sections that a bike with a lower-ratio gravel groupset would let you ride.

Likewise, cheaper gravel bikes might have cable-operated mechanical rather than hydraulic disc brakes. You'll also get lower-spec wheels and tyres may not be tubeless-ready. Tubeless is pretty mu🙈ch essential for gravel riding, to lower the risk of punctures and eliminate pinch flats.

So the cheapest gravel bike isn't necessarily the best entry-leve🌳l gravel bike option; you want a bike that does the gravel bike basics well but that you'll be able to live with and potentially upgrade as you get more into gravel riding.

The challenge is that when starting out it's hard to justify spending a lot of money on something you aren't yet sure you'll enjoy enough. Is gravel riding going to be a lifelong passion worthy of spending serious money on, or a fleeting hobby not worth the big investment? Are you going to gravitate more towards gravel racing or bikepacking? Or may🍒be you'll end up preferring singlet🍌rack you can only barely handle on a drop-bar bike. You won't know until you spend some time trying things out.

Of course, price matters but try not to make it the only goal; instead, try to focus your search on versatility. As you gain more experience with 澳洲幸运5开奖官网在线查询开奖结果:gravel cycling, you'll be able to look f💫or a more niche bike that matches your interests, but in the beginning, look for an all-rounder that can work for whatever you want to try. If you stay flexible, that first bike won't hold you back.

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Best Entry Level Gravel Bikes 2025

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