Best list of trail gravel bikes 2024
With wide tires and suspension over demanding routes
Trail gravel bikes? What is this again?! Quite simply: This refers to gravel bikes that, in terms of geometry, completion and tires, are tailored to routes for which you don't really need a mountain bike - but which cannot be ridden optimally with 40 mm tires and sporty geometry. Velomotion presents eight corresponding models.
Something in between gravel bike and mountain bike? It sounds strange at first, since the gravel bike seems to be close enough to the MTB. But there's something else going on - we've known that since RockShox, Fox & Co. introduced 28-inch suspension forks with 30-40 mm travel that were developed specifically for “trail gravel bikes”. So what’s this all about? And who is this subcategory right for?
Trail gravel bikes: Greetings from the MTB!
The originators of the trends are – no surprise – bike manufacturers whose roots lie in mountain biking. A lot has happened there in recent years: the proportion of e-MTBs continues to rise, and when it comes to non-motorized models, the standard is no longer the cross-country bike, but the trail bike with a flat head angle, long top tube and extra-short stem. Taken together, this results in directional stable driving behavior coupled with quite agile handling. A rather compact, upright sitting position is also typical for this type of MTB.
Racing handlebars, suspension forks and wide tires combine sporty handling with a lot of off-road competence
Why not try something like this with racing wheels? This is a good idea for several reasons. First of all, you can say that many (trail) MTBs are not used “appropriately” anyway. If you only ride on forest paths, gravel roads and trails without any particular obstacles, you might have more fun riding with a handy, powerful ten-kilo gravel bike and can also enjoy the versatile grip positions of the racing handlebars. For rough terrain there are the suspension forks mentioned, which offer noticeable shock and vibration absorption despite the short distance; If you go downhill steeply, you can enjoy the comfort of a lowerable seat post, as is mounted on many trail gravel bikes. A typical “Gravel Trail” feature is wider handlebars, which allow you to steer more safely on difficult terrain.
If tires that are two inches wide are also installed, a trail gravel bike is even more capable off-road than a conventional gravel bike - not least because of the more upright seat geometry and special features such as a long wheelbase, which stabilizes the driving behavior on descents and prevents that on steep sections the front wheel loses contact with the ground. Anyone who finds a standard gravel bike too tame is also a candidate for a trail model.
Compact sitting position even for long distances
Last but not least, the less stretched, more comfortable sitting position on the Trail Graveller is ideal for long distances. If you want to use a gravel bike as a touring bike, you will find the right models in this category, although it doesn't necessarily have to be a bike with a suspension fork.
Trail gravel bikes are not all the same. First of all, not all bikes in this category are equipped with a suspension fork – although it's an option for many manufacturers. Drivetrains are typically 1x11 or 1x12, often featuring cassettes with a mountain bike-like gear range, such as SRAM 's Eagle cassettes with 10-52 teeth. However, there are also trail-oriented gravel bikes with a double chainring setup.
There are, of course, no hard and fast rules when it comes to mounting options. For a manufacturer like Rondo , trail gravel bikes fall into the "adventure" category – meaning they need endless mounting points to allow long-distance riders to attach bags, racks, accessories, and so on in abundance. However, one can also take a very sporty approach and largely forgo threaded holes, as Santa Cruz does with the Stigmata.
Whether you prefer an adventurous or a sporty bike also depends on the materials used. Where weight isn't a concern, a steel frame can certainly be used – in the case of the Kona Sutra, even combined with a rigid steel fork. A fast, agile bike in this category, on the other hand, is preferably made of carbon. Giant and Santa Cruz achieve complete weights of around and under ten kilograms this way – including suspension fork and dropper post.
These models recently tested by Velomotion show what the different types of trail gravel bikes can look like. Their common denominator is comfort and driving safety on demanding terrain - and they can be used in a variety of ways.
