The bikes of Gravel are in fashion. They are fun, versatile, and allow you to enjoy routes on dirt tracks and unpaved roads. This may lead some to wonder if a gravel can replace a mountain bike. If that's your case, you might be interested in reading what I have to tell you. Before continuing, it should be clarified that this is a purely opinion-based post, based on my experience using a gravel bike on all types of terrain, including mountain bike events.
Related: What is a gravel bike really for?
I am going to place special emphasis on how I have used it in more technical areas, routes designed for mountain bikes, whether hardtail or full suspension. First of all, the gravel bike I used was a Canyon Grail CF 8.0 with the following features:
- SRAM Force mechanical groupset.
- 1x11 drivetrain with a 42T single chainring and 10-42 cassette.
- 160mm hydraulic disc brakes.
- Handlebar specifically for Canyon for gravel with double height, designed for climbs (grip on top), descents (middle grip), and flat (grip on the drops).
- 40mm Schwalbe tires, with lots of tread. We are talking about lightweight but delicate tires.
I used the bike for five weeks, combining the gravel with road. I left my mountain bike Canyon Exceed parked to train technically to do the Marcha BTT Puro Singletrack with the gravel bike. This is a mountain bike event held in Carbonero El Mayor (Segovia), on a 66-kilometer course with 1,300 meters of accumulated elevation. The terrain consists of fast tracks and trails, some technical descents, and many short walls, with slopes of more than 15%. During the weeks prior to the event, I did two types of routes with the gravel: road plus tracks, and tracks plus technical areas. The idea was to master the bike in order to face the challenge with confidence.
"Riding a gravel bike on tracks makes you feel like Van der Poel racing against juniors"
Performance on tracks and road
This is the terrain where a Gravel performs best. Since on this type of terrain there's no need to lower tire pressure, we don't notice any drag on the road. It can't be compared to the feeling of tackling a false flat at 3% with an aero road bike , but it goes moderately fast. The sensations are good. On the track is where a Gravel makes the difference, and I don't just mean speed, but the feeling of going fast. Used to going 20km/h on a mountain bike, with a Gravel we can easily reach 30km/h, and the feeling this speed difference produces is indescribable. You feel like Van der Poel competing against juniors. Amazing. On the other hand, there is comfort. The Gravel have an endurance geometry. The riding position is more relaxed than on a racing road bike, or on a cyclocross bike. That's why, on tracks and roads, we can cover kilometer after kilometer without feeling fatigue in shoulders and back.
Performance on technical sections
When it comes to riding on technical trails, it all depends on the cyclist's technique. While a gravel bike is not designed for descending technical trails, you can still tackle them with confidence. In my case, living in Asturias, where mountain biking is, let's say, technical, I can say my abilities to climb and descend tricky areas are good. I don't consider myself a rider with standout skills, but I usually go up or down whatever I come across, depending on the situation. It's something you simply get with practice. During the weeks I had the Canyon Grail, I did three pretty technical routes, with climbs on slopes reaching 20% and technical descents. Muddy areas, big rocks (boulders), and root sections. A bit of everything, all for a mountain bike, even a full-suspension one.
Performance in an MTB event
You can see what happened riding the Marcha BTT Puro Singletrack with a gravel bike in the following video:
Below I describe the conclusions I drew after facing the event with the Canyon Grail. Carbon is very, very resistant. I weigh 86kg and I'm 182cm tall, and with a size M Grail CF I tackled very, very fast descents on rough tracks with rocks and stones, where the bike didn't generate any insecurity or instability. Pressures should be low, around 2 bar for my weight. Above that, you get a very annoying bounce, and below, you risk kissing the rim. A Panzer-type mousse can be a good option for this type of bike. Tubeless is a must. In my case, with Schwalbe tires I had a couple of punctures. Nothing serious, so the sealant did its job. It's true that in the Puro Singletrack I tore a tire with a piece of slate, but hey, it could have happened to anyone.
Related: Advantages of using tubeless wheels on mountain bike routes
Climbing is hell, the gearing is very, very limited . It would be equivalent to an Eagle 1x12 with a 34-tooth chainring and a 10-50 cassette, where we can't use the two largest cogs. That is, a 10-36. Very bad in very steep and technical areas. With a 38-tooth chainring it would be enough, although on a slight downhill on the road, you can say goodbye to your friends. Bike handling on technical trails: descents are always tackled by holding the middle area of the handlebar. The key is to always have your index finger on the brake, half-pulled. If you hold the top, it's impossible to brake safely. And you might think looking at the photo: what about the posture? How do you handle a 30% descent? Well, as absurd as it may seem, you can descend quite well, although not fast. The technique to use is to pass the saddle between your legs and rest your stomach on it. This way we achieve the correct weight balance and keep the bike in place. I never felt like I was going over the handlebars, something that has happened to me a couple of times with hardtail mountain bikes (front suspension) and without a dropper post.
Tackling all kinds of terrain safely
As I have already mentioned in previous paragraphs, with a gravel bicycle with generous tires and the right pressures we can tackle all kinds of terrain safely, as long as our skills keep up. Now, the problem is another: enjoying it. According to my colleague Edu, “on those technical routes and on the Puro Singletrack, you would have had much more fun with a mountain bike.” I have to agree with him. You can go down a technical trail with a gravel bike, but with a mountain bike, you enjoy it. A technical 20% climb can be done on a mountain bike, but not on a gravel.
Tuvalum Team
