The best climbing bikes, of course, boast light weight. But a modern lightweight bike has to prove itself not solely through a lack of grams on the scales, but also by having the aerodynamics to up your ride speed.

In fact, for most riding conditions, aerodynamics is more important than weight, although there’s a definite buzz in riding a fast, flyweight machine.

Even if a lack of grams helps you get to the top of a hill quicker, you’ve still usually got to get down the other side, where those watts saved will come into their own. Aerodynamics will help you on the flat too.

Best climbing bikes: what to look for

Weight

It perhaps goes without saying, but when you’re riding uphill, gravity is always trying to pull you back down.

Reducing the total rider plus bike system weight means less energy (or power, in cycling parlance) is required to maintain a given speed while climbing.

Therefore, if you want to ride uphill faster, or simply make the hills a little easier, a lightweight bike helps a lot.

It’s for this reason we see hill-climb obsessives chopping and changing practically every component to bring their overall bike weight down to its lowest possible limit.

The only issues are that high-end, lightweight bikes and parts can be eye-wateringly expensive, and the weight-weenie bug can be hard to shake once you get started. However, some of the best road bikes under £3,000 are good for climbing.

Cheaper still is improving your power-to-weight ratio. You can do this by becoming more powerful at the same weight or losing weight through cycling and maintaining power.

Aerodynamics

Until fairly recently, climbing bikes made no concessions to aerodynamics, leaving drag-reduction to the best aero road bikes. But with the rise of computer modelling, on-bike aero sensors and other advanced testing techniques, this has all changed.

Even dedicated climbing bikes are now launching, with brands touting their aerodynamic efficiency.

Take the Trek Emonda, for example. Trek says it has been designed specifically for the rigours of iconic Tour de France climbs such as Alpe d’Huez (a 13.85km monster in the French Alps), yet still features extensive aero treatment.

We won’t deny there’s usually a minor weight penalty associated with such aero features, but clearly brands have deduced that, on balance, it’s worth it.

We’ll discuss this particular issue in more detail in our buyer’s guide at the end of the article, so keep reading once you’ve considered all the reviews.

Now, onto our recommendations.

The best climbing bikes 2023, as rated by our expert testers

Giant TCR Advanced SL 0 Disc

• Light, stiff and responsive race bike
• Top spec with SRAM Red AXS and Cadex carbon wheels
• Price: £9,699 / $11,000 / AU$13,499 (as tested)

The Giant TCR has long been a benchmark for race bikes and the ninth generation of the bike remains a top performer.

While the TCR comes in many variants to suit different budgets, the Advanced SL 0 model is unapologetically high-end and its frameset sports an integrated seatpost with a topper rather than a conventional one.

With a full SRAM Red eTap AXS wireless groupset and carbon wheels from Giant’s in-house brand Cadex, it’s ready to race out of the box and is properly light.

• Weight: 6.7kg (L)
• Gearing: 48/35, 10-28
• Read our full Giant TCR Advanced SL 0 Disc review

Bianchi Specialissima

• Great mix of speed, handling, control and smoothness
• Top spec, but the wheels are a bit of a disappointment
• Price: £11,206 / $11,626 / €11,449 (as tested)

The Bianchi Specialissima is a bike that’s gone from round tubes to aero profiles in its latest iteration, also gaining disc brakes and hiding the hoses, while still ticking the lightweight boxes with a 750g frame and 370g fork. You could lose another 80g by opting for black paint instead of celeste.

Bianchi incorporates Countervail anti-vibration tech into the frame and the bike comes with Shimano Dura-Ace 12-speed shifting and other top-notch kit. The Vision SC 40 carbon tubeless wheels feel a little low-value compared to the rest of the spec though (even at £11,000).

The ride is a mix of responsiveness with great handling, while also composed, smooth and more comfortable than some bikes with tyres wider than the Specialissima’s 26mm Pirellis.

• Weight: 7.2kg (59cm)
• Gearing: 50/34, 11-30

• Read our full Bianchi Specialissima review

Cannondale SuperSix Evo Hi-Mod 2

• Excellent handling combined with compliance and stiffness
• The Vision Trimax handlebar may not suit those with smaller hands and the bike comes with 25mm tyres
• Price: £8,250 / $8,300 / €8,999 / AU$11,999 (as tested)

Now in its fourth generation, the SuperSix Evo continues to cement itself as one of the best climbing bikes. The new bike takes much of what made the previous versions so well regarded, but removes the often-maligned PF30a press-fit bottom bracket and replaces it with a 68mm BSA threaded model. The front-end design and down tube have also been refined and there’s a new proprietary seatpost, too.

Out on the road, the SuperSix Evo balances its inspired handling with compliance and stiffness. It’s a particularly adept climber, feeling assured and firm when under the rider and when you want to put the power down, it rockets forward. The new aero seatpost isn’t as stiff as you might expect, offering a good amount of buzz-reducing compliance.

The Shimano Ultegra R8100 groupset on this build is BikeRadar’s pick of the Japanese brand’s latest groupsets and we were impressed by the newly updated flagship HollowGram R-SL 50 wheels, too. Although Cannondale specs Continental Grand Prix 5000 tyres, they’re in a 25mm width and we’d be keen to run wider rubber. We also suspect the Vision Trimax won’t suit those with smaller hands because the tops are very deep.

• Weight: 7.57kg (56cm)
• Gearing: 52/36, 11-30
• Read our full Cannondale SuperSix Evo Hi-Mod 2 review

ENVE Melee (Ultegra Di2 build)

• Outstanding handling balanced with great comfort and geometry
• Expensive and you can’t buy a full build off the peg
• Price: £5,500 / $5,500 / €5,500 for frame ‘chassis’ / £10,400 / $12,834 / AU$19,220 (as tested)

The ENVE Melee took our 2023 Performance Bike of the Year crown, thanks to its outstanding handling and balanced comfort. The brand’s second bike after the Custom Road has been aerodynamically optimised, albeit with a slightly taller ride position than you’ll find on longer and lower bikes. The Melee also fully integrates its cables and hoses and uses a D-shaped seatpost.

We found the Melee to be one of the easiest-handling race bikes on the market and we were struck by how stable and composed it is in every scenario. It deals with everything with real calmness.

A stable and composed ride can sometimes be a little boring, but there’s none of that here. The Melee’s reaction to inputs is quick and it’s unperturbed by crosswinds.

Unlike the other bikes on this list, the Melee is sold as a ‘chassis’ – a frame, fork, stem, handlebar, seatpost and thru-axles. You then build the bike up with your preferred electronic groupset, wheels and tyres. Even in a modest build, that means the Melee is far from a cheap proposition, but the ability to mould it into your own makes it a real winner.

Our example build came with a Shimano Ultegra R8100 groupset, and ENVE’s Foundation 45 carbon wheels and SES tyres in a 29mm width.

• Weight: 7.8kg (58cm in this example build)
• Gearing: 52/36, 11-30
• Read our full ENVE Melee review

Focus Izalco Max 9.7 AXS

• Racy-handling and fast-feeling road bike
• Decent value compared to the competition
• Price: £5,699 / €6,199 / AU$8,999 (as tested)

Similar to many other bikes in this category, Focus has evolved its Izalco platform to be more well-rounded.

The latest version takes both weight and aerodynamics into account, but doesn’t go so far as to ignore practicality completely – the aero cockpit, for example, uses a standard stem and handlebar setup to make fit adjustment and maintenance a little easier.

At 7.9kg (size large), it’s not the lightest bike we’ve ever tested, but this does include 50mm-deep aero wheels and, with a frame weight of just 890g (claimed), it could certainly be lightened up considerably with a few weight-weenie optimisations.

There’s also a slightly cheaper version, the Izalco Max Disc 8.8, that has Ultegra R8000 mechanical gears, but performed similarly well in our testing.

• Weight: 7.9kg (large)
• Gearing: 48/36, 10-28

• Read our full Focus Izalco Max 9.7 AXS review

Lapierre Xelius SL 9.0

• Good-value spec
• Racy geometry leads to sharp handling
• Price: £7,399 / €7,799 (as tested)

Another lightweight bike with aero features, the Xelius nevertheless stands out thanks to the design of its seatstays. The navy blue fade glitter paintjob looks stunning and the racy geometry leads to sharp handling.

If you’re at either extreme of the size range, the five sizes available may not work for you though.

The spec is really good for the price, with 12-speed Dura-Ace Di2, a carbon bar and stem and Lapierre’s own-brand carbon wheels with 25mm Continental GP5000 tyres that measure 27mm on the 47mm-deep, 21mm internal-width rims.

• Weight: 7.5kg (large)
• Gearing: 52/36, 11-30
• Read our full Lapierre Xelius SL 9.0 review

Merida Scultura Team

• Great value for a pro-level spec
• Lively, exciting ride
• Price: £8,000 / €9,999 (as tested)

The Merida Scultura Team took our 2022 Performance Bike of the Year crown, thanks to its superb, exciting ride and racy handling. It’s also great value, with a Shimano Dura-Ace 12-speed groupset, complete with power meter.

Merida has shaved 4.2 per cent from the previous Scultura’s drag numbers, while also lowering weight slightly to a claimed 822g for a size M frame. It’s well kitted out; we particularly liked the Vision Metron 45 SL wheels, their 1,372g weight leading to low inertia on climbs. They’re shod with 28mm Continental GP5000 tyres for a comfortable ride.

The one downside is the lack of narrower options for the integrated bar/stem.

• Weight: 7.1kg (medium)
• Gearing: 52/36, 11-30
• Read our full Merida Scultura Team review

Orbea Orca OMX M10i LTD D

• Excellent all-round ride and generous tyre clearance
• Clean build with smart component integration
• Price: £7,899 / $9,299 / €8,999 / AU$12,999 (as tested)

The Orca OMX has a wonderful blend of low weight, firm pedalling stiffness, decent aero credentials and confident handling that make it an absolute joy to ride.

We also really appreciated the care with which Orbea has integrated the cables. It makes for a beautifully clean front end, without any compromises in fit, and it’s not overly complicated to put together either.

Our test bike weighed 7.5kg (size large), complete with aero wheels. This doesn’t trouble the UCI weight limit, but with an 833g frame and 370g fork (claimed weights), it could certainly be built lighter, if you felt the need.

Orbea also offers the slightly cheaper Orca M25 Team-D.

• Weight: 7.5kg (large)
• Gearing: 50/34, 11-30

• Read our full Orbea Orca OMX M10i LTD D review

Basso Diamante Ultegra Di2

• Sharp but stable race geometry
• Long and low cockpit won’t work for everyone
• Price: £7,199 / €8,299 (as tested)

The eighth-generation Diamante is a thoroughbred race bike, while remaining classic in its appearance. The tube shapes are rounded, which Basso says is designed to improve stiffness and efficiency, while minimising weight.

The geometry is in pure race bike territory – long and low, so you’ll want to have a long think about whether it will work for you and carefully study the geometry chart. That said, in testing we found the Diamante to balance its tactile handling with satisfying stiffness. It’s surprisingly comfortable, too, thanks to the slim seatstays and carbon seatpost.

There’s little to criticise with the Ultegra Di2 specced. The second-tier groupset delivers identical shifting and braking performance to Dura-Ace with a compelling cost saving. We also rated the Microtech RE38 wheels – many own-brand efforts can vary in design modernity, but these are on the money with a 23mm internal rim width.

• Weight: 7.58kg (58cm, without pedals)
• Gearing: 52/36, 11-30

• Read our full Basso Diamante Ultegra Di2 review

BMC Teammachine SLR 01 Two

• Lightweight and faster than ever before
• Very little to fault, but it comes at a high price
• Price: £9,800 / $10,999 / €10,499 (as tested)

The latest iteration of BMC’s excellent Teammachine learns lessons from the Timemachine (BMC’s aero road bike) to improve its aerodynamic efficiency, without adding too much weight.

In fact, its 7.09kg weight makes the BMC Teammachine SLR 01 Two one of the lightest bikes on this list, and that’s seriously impressive considering it has aero wheels, disc brakes and plenty of other aero features.

The omission of a Dura-Ace crankset in favour of Rotor is perhaps the only minor criticism we could make of a bike that’s otherwise extremely hard to find fault with. There’s no denying it comes at a very high price though.

• Weight: 7.09kg (56cm, including two bottle cages)
• Gearing: 52/36, 11-30

• Read our full BMC Teammachine SLR 01 Two review

Canyon Ultimate CF SL Disc 8.0 Di2 Aero

• Lightweight and aero-optimised, but the sharp handling may not be for everyone
• Excellent-value build
• Price: £3,749 / €3,999 / AU$5,299 (as tested)

As always, Canyon provides an excellent-value, race-ready package, right out of the box.

Despite the lack of dropped seatstays, the back-end is still comfortable. So much so, in fact, that the sharp front-end handling initially feels a little out of step with the rear, but this is a race bike after all.

At a shade over 7.5kg, it’s lightweight for a bike of its size, which has disc brakes and aero wheels, and there are women’s-specific builds available too.

• Weight: 7.54kg (large)
• Gearing: 52/36, 11-30

• Read our full Canyon Ultimate CF SL Disc 8.0 Di2 Aero review

Canyon Ultimate CFR Di2

• More versatile than ever
• Inconsistent spec
• Price: £10,399 as tested

The Canyon Ultimate CFR Di2 is tremendously expensive and light at a mere 6.3kg in size large.

The top-dog Ultimate retains its race-winning stiffness, agility and climbing ability, while becoming ever more aerodynamic.

However, the shallow-section DT Swiss wheels undermine the Ultimate’s versatility, while the Schwalbe Pro One TT tyres are a puncture risk on all but the smoothest roads.

• Weight: 6.3kg (size large)
• Gearing: 52/36, 11-30
• Read our full Canyon Ultimate CFR Di2 review 

Cervélo R5 Disc Force eTap AXS

• Stiff, but not too stiff frameset
• Spec includes a power meter
• Price: £8,599 / €8,799 / $8,400 (as tested)

Cervélo claims a 703g frame weight for the latest R5 and, like all Cervélos, there’s an aero edge, with Squoval tube profiles and smooth frame edges, while internal hose routing saves a claimed 3W at 48km/h.

The SRAM Force AXS chainset comes with a power meter and the bike is equipped with Reserve 34/37mm carbon wheels, although they’re planned to be swapped out for Zipp ZR1 wheels from 2023. The 25mm Vittoria Corsa tyres measure around 29mm on the wide rims.

Cervélo has a reputation for stiff frames, but the latest R5 is slightly less stiff than its predecessor. The geometry is racy, leading to an agile, predictable ride, and the light weight and good power transfer make for sprightly climbing.

• Weight: 7.4kg (56cm)
• Gearing: 48/35, 10-33

• Read our full Giant TCR Advanced Pro 2 Disc review

Colnago C68

• Beautifully built with comfortable one-piece cockpit
• Superb, taut handling
• Top-spec Dura-Ace groupset and wheels
• Price: £11,753 / €14,065 / $15,772 (as tested)

Colnago uses its lugged construction on the C68, but the tube shapes are more reminiscent of the monocoque V3R. Colnago fits its own comfortable one-piece cockpit with hidden cable routing.

The ride position is long and low, although not too aggressive for less flexible riders and leads to great handling from the taut frame.

There’s a full Dura-Ace R9200 build, including C50 wheels with 28mm Pirelli tyres, although the Prologo saddle isn’t the range-topping carbon-railed version. It’s a great bike that merits its superbike rating.

• Weight: 7.3kg (58cm equivalent)
• Gearing: 52/36, 11-30
• Read our full Colnago C68 review

Colnago V4RS

• Pinpoint handling and pro-level reactions to acceleration
• A rather racey geometry and seriously expensive
• Price: £5,000 / €12,630 (UK price is for frameset only)

Ridden by UAE Team Emirates (and perhaps most importantly) Tadej Pogačar, the V4RS is Colnago’s monocoque carbon race bike, where a balance of lightness, stiffness and speed is the name of the game.

Colnago claims the V4RS is 3 per cent more aerodynamic than the outgoing V3RS and the new CC01 cockpit alone is said to be 16 per cent more aerodynamic. There are some new tube shapes too, with a reprofiled head tube, although many will be glad to hear the brand has reverted back to a round steerer tube.

Out on the road, the V4RS is unerringly poised, with direct handling and sharpness. It felt particularly confident on descents, driving hard into an apex and the bottom bracket laps up power when climbing, the bike keen to accelerate when you get out of the saddle.

• Weight: 7.23kg (570mm)
• Gearing: 52/36, 11-30
• Read our full Colnago V4RS review

Giant TCR Advanced Pro 2 Disc

• Solid all-round spec with lively ride quality
• Lots of tyre clearance
• Price: £2,999 / €3,100 / $5,199 (as tested)

The legendary TCR has finally gone aero, but that doesn’t mean a huge increase in weight, fortunately.

At 7.87kg, it’s not the lightest bike on this list, but it’s very competitive in its price range and could likely be lightened considerably with some component upgrades.

It also offers a noticeably smooth ride, with confident handling and clearance for up to 32mm tyres, which is very welcome.

Giant’s sister company Liv offers a women’s version called the Langma Advanced Pro Disc, which is one of the best women’s road bikes.

• Weight: 7.87kg (medium/large)
• Gearing: 52/36, 11-30

• Read our full Giant TCR Advanced Pro 2 Disc review

Scott Addict RC 10

• Quality ride with sharp handling and compliance
• Spec includes a power meter
• Middling wheels and mediocre tyres
• Price: £5,949 / $8,000 / €6,599 (as tested)

The Scott Addict marries sharp handling with a predictable and compliant ride quality that’s similar to the Cervélo R5. There’s integrated cabling that works for mechanical and wired electronic, as well as wireless shifting, and it’s reasonably easy to work on.

Scott includes a power meter with the SRAM Force AXS electronic groupset and you get decent, if not outstanding, Syncros Capital 1.0 35 Disc wheels with a claimed weight of 1,574g a pair.

We were disappointed with the fitted Schwalbe One TLE tyres though, with their higher rolling resistance than many of the best road bike tyres. Tyre clearance is a little narrow at 28mm too.

Although this mid-spec Addict weighs just under 8kg, you can spend a lot more and get the bike’s claimed weight down to 6.7kg.

• Weight: 7.9kg (56cm)
• Gearing: 48/35, 10-33
• Read our full Scott Addict RC 10 review

Specialized Aethos Comp

• Little brother of the S-Works Aethos is still light and climbs well
• Rapid handling, but stable ride quality
• Price: £4,500 / $5,000 / €5,400 / AU$6,900 (as tested)

Although the Comp spec of the Specialized Aethos weighs over 8kg, the top spec S-Works Aethos brings that down to a claimed sub-6kg, definitely earning a place on our lightweight bikes list. The classic frame profile with round tubes goes against the aero-is-everything modern trend.

The Comp uses a lower-spec carbon than the S-Works, but still has a 700g frame weight and comes with a SRAM Rival AXS groupset and lower-priced, heavier wheels. These make it feel less skittish than the S-Works bike, while it retains its rapid handling and shares its geometry with the Tarmac SL7. It still feels light when climbing too.

• Weight: 8.2kg (58cm)
• Gearing: 48/35, 10-36
• Read our full Specialized Aethos Comp review

Specialized S-Works Tarmac SL7

• Flagship race bike as ridden by Peter Sagan
• Stiff, fast and beautifully finished
• Price: £10,500 / $12,000 / €11,499 / AU$18,000 (as tested)

Few bikes generate as much hype as the new Tarmac did when it launched in 2020.

This new flagship merged Specialized’s aero and lightweight platforms into one, claiming real aero gains over its predecessor and sporting a frameset weighing a claimed 800g for a 56cm.

The Tarmac SL7 is disc-only and has clearance for 32mm tyres. It’s a fast and uncompromising race bike that will delight riders who can kick out big power numbers.

In its halo S-Works spec, this is a seriously expensive bike, but more affordable models are available, with the second-tier frame claimed to weigh a respectable 920g.

• Weight: 6.7kg (54cm)
• Gearing: 48/35, 10-33
• Read our full Specialized S-Works Tarmac SL7 review

Trek Emonda SL 6 Pro

• Stiff and exciting ride quality
• Great-quality components
• Price: £3,350 / $3,799 / €3,799 / AU$5,499 (as tested)

In line with market trends, Trek has amended the Emonda’s design parameters to encompass a broader, all-round riding style, with the obligatory disc brakes and aero optimisation.

This does mean builds won’t quite be able to match the positively feathery lows of previous models, but Trek is, unsurprisingly, adamant they are faster most of the time. Our tester broadly agrees with this sentiment too, heaping praise on the Emonda’s speed and stiffness.

It’s also worth considering Trek’s beautiful Emonda ALR. Not only are there rim and disc brake versions of that frame (as things stand), but it’s also substantially cheaper. We think it’s an absolute peach of a bike.

Trek says the Emonda is now a unisex bike, and offers a broad range of sizes (from 47cm to 65cm) with the intention of fitting all different kinds of cyclists.

• Weight: 8.13kg (56cm)
• Gearing: 52/36, 11-30

• Read our full Trek Emonda SL 6 Pro review

Vitus Vitesse EVO CRS Di2

• Very competitive spec
• Racy personality and low weight
• Price: £3,699.99 / $4,499.99 / €4,199.99 / AU$6,399.99 (as tested)

The Vitesse has received a major update and is now a disc-only racer, one that’s ridden by pro cyclists. The frame weighs a claimed 910g and sports very up-to-date styling, with all cabling routed into the non-driveside.

More affordable builds than this are available, but even with Shimano Ultegra Di2 and low-profile Reynolds carbon clinchers as we tested it, it’s keenly priced.

The Vitesse is a firm and focused ride that will appeal to racers, but may be a little uncompromising for more casual riders.

• Weight: 7.6kg (M)
• Gearing: 52/36, 11-32
• Read our full Vitus Vitesse EVO CRS Di2 review

Buyer’s guide to climbing bikes

Carbon vs aluminium

Why do carbon fibre frames and parts still command a healthy premium over the best aluminium road bikes?

Top-quality carbon fibre is prized for its incredible stiffness-to-weight ratio, and rightly so – this is the reason it’s used in Formula One. If you can afford it, the lightest bikes and parts will almost always be made out of high-end carbon fibre.

At the lower end though, good aluminium is competitive with, or even better than, cheap carbon fibre. That applies not just to weight and stiffness, but also ride quality and strength.

The very last of those characteristics is also a general worry for ultra-lightweight carbon fibre frames and parts. You have to be very careful about sticking to recommended weight, torque and clamping specs, or else it’s very easy to break these feathery items.

Aero vs. weight for climbing

It would be easy to think when you’re going uphill, weight is the only thing that matters. It is, of course, important. After all, a 5kg reduction in total rider plus bike weight will shave around 39 seconds off a 2km, 10 per cent climb, all other things being equal.

But with our many years of collective experience, we’ve found body weight matters much more than bike weight. Besides, unless you can get your hands on something like Berk’s 3.9kg bike, you’re going to struggle to shave anywhere near 5kg off your bike’s overall weight, no matter how deep your pockets.

On top of that, more and more brands are discovering that aerodynamics is still important when riding uphill, and for saving energy on the way to the bottom.

Even a brand such as Cannondale, which used to make the definitive, ultra-lightweight hill climb bike, believes its full-on aero bike, the SystemSix, is faster on gradients up to 6 per cent than its own lightweight bike (the SuperSix) – even at the typically slower speeds mere mortals such as us ride at.

True hill climb aficionados will no doubt be tearing their hair out at this point, exclaiming ‘anything under 10 per cent isn’t even a proper hill anyway!’, but if you want to go fast, aero always matters, regardless of the gradient.

It’s true that aerodynamic drag becomes a smaller part of the equation as gradients increase in severity, but the absolute amount of air resistance you experience remains the same for any given speed.

On top of that, the power to overcome any increase in air resistance is proportional to the cube of speed. So, if you want to ride your bicycle twice as fast, you’ll need eight times more power to overcome the extra drag force, unless you can reduce your aerodynamic drag.

In an ideal world, then, you want a bike that’s both lightweight and aero for smashing hills.

“Weight weenies should be Crr weenies”

So said Robert Chung, Professor and Theoretical Mathematical Demographer at the University of California-Berkeley. Chung is perhaps most famous for devising the ‘Chung Method’ of calculating aerodynamic drag, but he also reminds us of the importance of not ignoring rolling resistance.

Using a power equation for wheeled vehicles (such as the one found at www.kreuzotter.de), he showed that even a relatively small difference in rolling resistance (Crr stands for ‘coefficient of rolling resistance’) can be worth as much as large changes in weight, even on steep gradients.

Weight weenies should be Crr weenies. We can convert differences in Crr to "equivalent" differences in mass. Even small differences in Crr are equivalent to 100's of grams of mass difference on steep hills. pic.twitter.com/YSASEisid0

— @rchung@mstdn.social (@therealrchung) April 28, 2019

Chung’s graph plots the difference in Crr between Continental’s GP4000S II and GP5000 tyres in terms of the equivalent efficiency found through weight loss on different gradients.

On a flat road, it’s clear that even a relatively small decrease in rolling resistance is worth more than practically any increase in weight. What’s really interesting to note though, is that changing from a GP4000 to a GP5000 is still worth more than 500g of extra mass even on a 10 per cent slope.

Yes, that’s right; the small difference in rolling resistance between two of the best road bikes tyres can have a greater effect on your efficiency than 500g of extra weight even on a 10 per cent slope, and that equivalent mass penalty only increases as the gradient gets shallower. On a 6 per cent slope, the difference is equivalent to a kilogram of extra mass.

The key takeaway is that you shouldn’t just look at weight figures when shopping for tyres. The differences in rolling resistance between tyres will be worth far more to your climbing speed than any minor weight variations.

Gearing and cadence when climbing

Some riders apparently enjoy using singlespeed or even fixed-gear bikes for climbing hills. But most people are going to want bike gears.

For a long time though, back in the days when riders only had five or so cogs on their cassette to choose from, gears such as 42×21 were considered adequate for climbing mountains.

Thankfully, though, things have moved on and we now have access to compact/sub-compact chainsets, long-cage rear derailleurs and much larger bike cassettes.

Used together, these can allow practically anyone to spin up steep climbs at a comfortable cycling cadence, rather than turning them into a series of leg presses.

Muscling up a steep hill in a massive gear might feel heroic, but it’s probably slower and it’s costing you more energy too, as anyone with a power meter will be able to attest to. These days, even the pros know you need to gear down when the road goes up.

Rim or disc brakes

Another thorny issue. In our opinion, there are two answers to the bike brakes debates – a simple one and a nuanced one.

The simple answer is that rim brakes are, generally, lighter, and therefore are better for climbing bikes.

There’s a more nuanced answer, however. While disc-brake equipped bikes generally come with a weight penalty (though this is becoming harder to measure because, despite what we wrote in 2017, new high-end rim brake road bikes are uncommon), the advantage of better braking will be keenly felt on the way down the hills.

If the only thing you care about is going uphill as fast as possible, then rim brakes could still be the right choice. Otherwise, the advantages of road disc brakes might tip the balance.

If you’re looking for an objective assessment of the best gravel bikes on sale in 2023 then you’ve come to the right place. All of the bikes in this article have been ridden and rated by BikeRadar’s expert testers.

Gravel and all-road are terms used for this rapidly growing segment of the drop-bar bike market. These bikes have generous tyre clearances and gravel-specific geometry that is typically more stable and forgiving than traditional road bike geometry.

Modern gravel bikes were born out of the American Midwest, where gravel racing took hold a decade ago and has gained popularity steadily.

In the early days, riders tackled these endurance events on cyclocross bikes. Today, there are numerous purpose-built machines, from gravel race bikes and versatile all-road bikes that rival the best road bikes, to progressive gravel bikes that resemble drop-bar mountain bikes.

Our team of testers have been involved in the world of gravel bikes since its inception. Our senior tech editor Warren Rossiter first tested a thoroughbred gravel bike at the beginning of the 2010s and since then he reckons he’s tested close to 200 gravel bikes.

Many of our testers have also come to gravel via road riding or mountain biking. They bring a unique mix of insight and expertise, analysing how these bikes compare to the best road or best mountain bikes.

The selection of gravel bikes in this list represents the very best gravel bikes we’ve tested, across frame materials, riding styles and price points. This means there should be something for everyone, from those looking for a cheap entry into off-road riding to those looking to take on the Silk Road Mountain Race or Unbound.

The best gravel bike frames come in the same variety of frame materials as other bike types, with carbon, aluminium, titanium and steel options commonly available.

We have split our list of top-performing gravel bikes into each different frame material. You can skip to each section depending on what you’re looking for in a gravel bike:

• Carbon gravel bikes offer low weights and balance stiffness and compliance
• Aluminium gravel bikes are often the most affordable option
• Titanium gravel bikes are incredibly desirable and often considered ‘forever bikes’
• Steel gravel bikes have a classic feel and tend to be favoured by bikepackers

You can also skip to our buyer’s guide to gravel bikes, which explains everything you need to know about these practical, versatile and fun bikes.

Best gravel bikes in 2023

Best carbon gravel bikes

Carbon fibre gravel bikes are lightweight, stiff and are designed to absorb vibrations effectively.

Carbon fibre’s pliancy will do a lot of work to minimise any chatter from the surface beneath while still letting you put a lot of power through the cranks.

Many gravel race bikes are made from carbon, but there are plenty of carbon gravel bikes tailored to bikepacking and more technical riding.

Below is a selection of carbon gravel bikes we have tested that encompasses most of the above. Head to our full buyer’s guide to the best carbon gravel bikes for a complete rundown of every model we have tested.

Canyon Grizl CF SL 8 1by

• £2,949/$2,849/€2,699/AU$4,249 as tested
• Pros: Versatile carbon frameset; great spec; well thought out geometry
• Cons: Gearing might not be low enough for some; Canyon-specific mudguard mounts

The Canyon Grizl is a burlier version of the Canyon Grail, which is also one of the best gravel bikes. The Grizl has clearance for 50mm tyres, mounts for fenders and bags, and long geometry – all working together to make it an ultra-versatile bike.

The bike has a good value-for-money spec, with a Shimano GRX groupset, DT Swiss wheels, a Canyon VCLS leaf-spring seatpost and a Fizik Terra Argo saddle.

The Grizl is happy on tarmac, but really shines off-road, especially on dirt trails and gravel singletrack.

The 1x drivetrain might not be the desired choice for all, but there are 2x Grizls in Canyon’s range.

One drawback with this bike is the mudguard mounts are specific to Canyon.

• Read our full Canyon Grizl CF SL 8 1by review

Giant Revolt Advanced Pro 0

• £4,999/$6,400/€5,599/AU$6,699 as tested
• Pros: Thrilling and plush ride; great groupset; fast wheels
• Cons: Tyres aren’t suited to wet or muddy terrain

The Giant Revolt Advanced Pro 0 is our Bike of the Year for 2022, the first time a gravel bike has won overall. Equipped with Shimano’s GRX Di2 2x groupset, the Revolt’s shifting and braking is pretty much flawless.

The build weight of 8.3kg doesn’t suggest sprightliness, but Giant’s lightweight CRX wheels and sharper geometry make the Revolt spry on- and off-road.

The new fork permits the Revolt to run tyres up to 53mm wide.

The Revolt also has plenty of mounts and bosses to carry luggage on bikepacking trips.

The Giant Revolt X Advanced Pro 1 is similar to the Advanced Pro 0, but it has a gravel suspension fork for more technical riding.

• Read our full Giant Revolt Advanced Pro 0 review

Liv Devote Advanced Pro

• £4,699/$5,500/€5,000/AU$7,299 as tested
• Pros: Women’s-specific geometry; dropper seatpost compatibility
• Cons: Tyres are sketchy in the wet

The Liv Devote Advanced Pro is the brand’s first gravel bike and one of the best women’s gravel bikes.

As with the rest of the Liv range, the frame’s geometry/sizing and carbon layup have been chosen specifically with female riders in mind.

The shock-absorbing seatpost is very effective at reducing trail buzz. The bike will also accept a dropper post should you want to maximise the bike’s handling on descents.

It’s a bike that is supremely comfortable over long distances and has mounts for mudguards, luggage, bottles and accessories, so it’s ready for as much adventure as you can take on.

• Read our full Liv Devote Advanced Pro review

Trek Checkpoint SL6 eTap

• £3,850/$4,300/€4,300/AU$5,500 as tested
• Pros: Comfy and fairly fast; mounting options; excellent handlebars
• Cons: Can be rattly

The Trek Checkpoint SL6 is a multifaceted gravel bike adept pretty much anywhere off-road. While no featherweight, it’s not sluggish on tarmac or faster fire roads.

Trek’s IsoSpeed decoupler, which allows the frame to flex a touch, absorbs the worst of bumps. The Checkpoint’s maximum tyre clearance of 700cx45mm or 650×2.1in allows you to run wide gravel tyres for added comfort and traction.

SRAM’s Rival AXS XPLR 1x groupset forms part of a fair-value spec. Stacks of fittings make the Checkpoint a practical steed for bikepacking.

The bike has one of the best gravel handlebars with long drops and a generous reach.

• Read our full Trek Checkpoint SL6 eTap review

Lauf Seigla Weekend Warrior

• £3,890 as tested
• Pros: Inspired geometry; grit fork smooths surfaces; wide tyre clearance up to 29 x 2.25 in
• Cons: Wide bottom bracket limits crank choice; fork chassis can twist

Lauf’s Seigla has taken all of the best aspects from its True Grit gravel race bike and improved it, with increased tyre clearance and frame compliance.

The third-generation Grit leaf-sprung fork offers class-leading damping. Although you can feel a little bob from the fork, it’s a fairly efficient climber. Heading downhill, the Seigla is composed and takes the sting out of the worst bumps.

There are some quirks in the frame’s design, which although aren’t a negative, are certainly something to consider for your style of riding. The Seigla isn’t compatible with front derailleurs and it uses a wider BSA73 bottom bracket shell, limiting crankset options.

• Read our full Lauf Seigla Weekend Warrior review

Orbea Terra M21e Team 1X

• £5,358/$5,874/€5,364 as tested
• Pros: Compliant and comfortable; quick handling; fast
• Cons: Wheels warrant an upgrade

The Orbea Terra M21e Team 1X is one of the most appealing gravel bikes on the market, offering all-round capability, speed, comfort, confident handling and last but not least, fun.

The lightweight frame doesn’t drag on long climbs and would be a good choice for gravel racing. But it also smooths out rough terrain and our tester felt it could be a great companion on technical sections. To boot, there are plenty of mounts for bikepackers.

The Terra is held back by its alloy wheels. A lighter, faster set of gravel wheels would complete this carbon gravel bike.

• Read our full Orbea Terra M21e Team 1X review

Cannondale Topstone Carbon Rival AXS

• £4,850 as tested
• Pros: Inspiring and fun handling; Cannondale’s Kingpin suspension; integrated lights
• Cons: Lights not powerful for off-road riding

The Cannondale Topstone is a mainstay of the gravel bike world, and this latest iteration offers an ideal blend of fun and versatility.

Integrated suspension and tweaked geometry make the bike capable and comfortable on rough terrain, but it can still cruise along like an endurance road bike on tarmac.

While the choice of a 2x SRAM Rival AXS drivetrain might seem at odds with the trend for 1x drivetrains on gravel bikes, there’s no getting away from how well this electronic groupset performs.

With an eye on practicality, Cannondale has added integrated lights to the Topstone. However, these aren’t really powerful enough for off-road riding in the dead of night.

• Read our full Cannondale Topstone Carbon Rival AXS review

Specialized Diverge STR Expert

• £7,500/$7,500/€7,550 as tested
• Pros: Plush riding in the saddle; all-round capability
• Cons: Low spec for the high price

The Specialized Diverge STR Expert brought in Future Shock Rear suspension, which suspends the rider’s behind and reduces discomfort off-road. The setup process is complicated, but the design effectively dampens vibrations, enabling you to remain in the saddle more.

Another positive is that the Diverge STR Expert’s geometry is suitable for a broad spectrum of gravel riding, from bridleway bashing to pacy gravel racing.

The middle-of-the-range SRAM Rival and GX Eagle components are discordant on a £7,500/$7,500 bike. The frame’s complexity does offer some mitigation for these cost-cutting choices.

The Specialized Diverge STR Expert will please fans of fancy tech and out-there looks, but the Specialized Diverge Comp Carbon might be a better – more affordable choice – for some.

• Read our full Specialized Diverge STR Expert review

Best aluminium gravel bikes

​​Aluminium alloy frames are light, robust and have a relatively low manufacturing cost. This makes aluminium gravel bikes a great choice if you’re looking to dip your toe into the world of gravel because they deliver big performance for their relatively low price.

Many of the best gravel bikes have aluminium frames and can compete with carbon or titanium bikes, so it’s not to be overlooked even for more performance-orientated people.

Below is a selection of the best alloy gravel bikes we have tested, with a particular focus on budget gravel bikes. Our complete buyer’s guide to the best aluminium gravel bikes covers a broader range of price points.

Boardman ADV 8.9

• Buy now from Halfords

• £1,150 as tested
• Pros: Good spec for the money; energetic ride; proper all-rounder
• Cons: Bar can transmit vibrations at higher pressures

In 2022, the Boardman ADV 8.9 was our Budget Bike of the Year for the second year rolling, having increased only slightly in price since 2021.

The ADV 8.9 has the cheapest Shimano GRX RX400 groupset, which shifts and stops well. The 48/32T chainrings and 10-speed 11-36T cassette is highly versatile.

Much of the ADV 8.9’s kit is from Boardman, including the fast-rolling wheels shod with Schwalbe G-One Allround tyres. Converting these to tubeless would enhance off-road performance.

The handlebar tape could also be upgraded to dull vibrations from harsh surfaces transferring through the bars – especially at higher tyre pressures.

• Read our full Boardman ADV 8.9 review
• Buy now from Halfords

Canyon Grail 6

• £1,649/$1,699/€1,499/AU$2,349 as tested
• Pros: Top components for the cash; amazing performance for the money
• Cons: 10-speed; no rack mounts, like the older version

The Canyon Grail 6 is a versatile aluminium gravel bike that’s a direct replacement for the hugely successful Grail AL. Despite being the cheapest aluminium frame Canyon Grail build, it’s still a very well-equipped bike.

The Shimano GRX 2×10 transmission and matching hydraulic disc brakes can be thought of as Tiagra equivalents.

Trusty DT Swiss C 1850 db alloy wheels are another spec highlight, particularly when shod in 40mm Schwalbe G-One Bite tubeless-ready tyres.

The Grail is a confidence-inspiring bike to ride, and one that beats its predecessor off-road thanks to gravel-specific gearing. It’s a comfortable enough bike as is, but run the tyres tubeless and you can further take the edge off.

The gravel bike is also available in a women’s-specific version, the Canyon Grail 6 WMN.

• Read our full Canyon Grail 6 review

Focus Atlas 6.8

• £1,899/€1,999/AU$3,099 as tested
• Pros: Touring and bikepacking-friendly; progressive geometry; excellent-value package
• Cons: Boost spacing limits wheel choice; top tube bag rattles

The Focus Atlas 6.8 is an entertaining and very capable bike straight out of the box. It’s a particularly talented off-roader thanks to progressive geometry that keeps things notably calm even when the going gets steep or rough.

It’s great to see a mix of Shimano’s excellent GRX RX600 and RX800 groupset components at this price.

The stock wheels are tough and form a great foundation for WTB’s 45mm wide Riddler tyres, though the Boost axle spacing could make potential upgrades more complicated.

Focus has included plenty of mounts and provisions for luggage and accessories, making the Atlas ideal for bikepackers.

• Read our full Focus Atlas 6.8 review

Cannondale Topstone Alloy 2

• £1,800/$1,925/€2,199/AU$3,199 as tested
• Pros: Accessory mounts boost versatility; great tyres for light gravel and road riding
• Cons: 10-speed groupset; relatively narrow tyres

The Cannondale Topstone Alloy gravel bike was updated in mid-2022 with dropped seatstays, additional accessory mounts and new builds.

We tested the mid-range Cannondale Topstone Alloy 2, which is built around a Shimano GRX 400 groupset.

With loads of accessory-fitting options and ample tyre clearance (45mm), this is a bike that could quite reasonably be turned to nearly all riding duties, including doubling as a winter road bike or commuter bike.

However, the stock tyres are on the narrow side if you want to explore more technical gravel/off-road trails, though that’s nothing an upgrade to wider rubber can’t sort.

• Read our full review of the Cannondale Topstone Alloy 2

Best titanium gravel bikes

Titanium has become a popular material amongst the best gravel bikes thanks to its inherent properties.

The metal is more resistant to fatigue than aluminium alloy, roughly half the weight of steel and more flexible than carbon fibre, making it a good choice for riders who value performance but want a sleek-looking forever bike that can stand up to the demands of riding off-road.

You can also check out our full list of the best titanium gravel bikes for a complete overview.

J Laverack GRiT

• £6,325 as tested
• Pros: Build quality; handling; performance; comfort
• Cons: Squeaking brakes; need to up-spec the bike to get the most from it

Our tester found the J Laverack GRiT to be the closest to a “forever bike” thanks to its dependable, comfortable, quick and fun ride – not forgetting its high build quality.

It might not be a surprise that a bike for life comes with a pretty high price tag. The GRiT we tested cost more than £6,000 with Hope brakes, carbon rims and a Shimano GRX groupset.

But in the scheme of things, J Laverack provides custom-specced builds that come in lower than some brands’ second-tier bikes.

You may not want to customise a build to get the most from a bike. However, along with the Hope brakes squeaking, that’s the only real drawback we can find with this bike.

• Read our full J Laverack GRiT review

Mason Bokeh Ti GRX Di2

• £6,195 as tested
• Pros: Sublime frame with lovely ride quality and great kit
• Cons: Chunky tyres make it a little pedestrian on the road

We’ve long been big fans of Mason’s aluminium gravel bike, the Bokeh, so we were pleased to see much of what we loved about that bike has translated across to the titanium version.

There are smart details galore, from the numerous mounts for bottles, racks and mudguards, to the MultiPort cabling system that ensures compatibility with all kinds of drivetrains.

As you’d expect, the ride quality is also excellent. The frameset, custom Mason/Hunt wheels and chunky tyres make for a wonderfully composed ride off-road.

The only issue is that it comes at a relatively high price, but if you’re willing to part with this much cash, you’re unlikely to be disappointed.

• Read our full Mason Bokeh Ti GRX Di2 review

Reilly Gradient

• £3,249 as tested
• Pros: Well priced for titanium; clever build kit; comfortable and quick
• Cons: Gears needed adjusting after a few days’ riding

The titanium Reilly Gradient frame is not only a thing of beauty, the ride it delivers also manages to hit the sweet spot between comfort and speed.

The well-considered build puts Hunt’s 1,629g 4Season tubeless-ready alloy gravel wheelset at either axle and it’s driven and stopped by Shimano’s excellent gravel-specific GRX groupset.

It all adds up to a ride that feels road-bike precise on tarmac, yet controllable off it. It’s reasonably priced too, particularly for a titanium bike that’s built in the UK.

• Read our full Reilly Gradient review

Moots Routt 45

• £5,600/$4,999 (frameset only) as tested
• Pros: Super-smooth ride and stunning finish; 700x50mm tyre clearance
• Cons: That price tag

You can tell the Moots Routt 45 is a cut above mass-market titanium frames straight away.

Handmade in America, the welds are super-neat and the finish looks expensive.

Despite being available as complete builds in the USA, in the UK Moots bikes are currently only available as framesets.

Riding the Routt 45 with SRAM Force eTap AXS, a Chris King headset and an ENVE bar, the Routt 45 proved super-smooth to ride on- and off-road with plenty of stiffness when pedalling.

The price puts it in the territory of the most expensive bikes. But a bike like this will often be heart over head, and with the right finishing kit, it won’t leave you disappointed.

• Read our full Moots Routt 45 review

Best steel gravel bikes

Steel is strong and relatively flexible metal. This means the best steel gravel bikes will do a lot of work to absorb the vibrations of the surface beneath you.

Paired with wide gravel tyres, it creates a smooth and comfortable ride. It isn’t the lightest material, but when comfort and durability are the most important factors you can’t go far wrong with steel.

Marin Nicasio +

• £845/$899/€899 as tested
• Pros: Amazing value; ideal for bikepacking
• Cons: Hard to fault at this price

The Marin Nicasio + proves that simplicity is key when you’re working on a budget. It would be easy to discard this bike based on its simple steel frame and fork, and relatively high weight, but that would be a real mistake.

Yes, you’ll feel the weight on steeper climbs, but the cleverly chosen spec and excellent geometry make this bike a treat as soon as the going gets rough.

This is one of the most fun bikes to ride of its kind and yet it retails for less than the frameset of many of the best gravel bikes.

• Read our full Marin Nicasio + review

Cinelli  Nemo Gravel Disc Ekar Mendini

• £5,149/$6,936/€6,000 as tested
• Pros: Fantastic ride on road and lighter gravel
• Cons: struggles on more technical terrain; relatively narrow tyre clearance; low spec wheels

Cinelli’s steel gravel bike combines great looks and ride quality, thanks to its top-spec Columbus Spirit HSS triple-butted tubing.

It’s built to be fast with angles close to those of a road bike, but still enough fork trail for off-road terrain.

The Campagnolo Ekar groupset works great – both its shifting and braking – but the Fulcrum wheels feel sub-par on a bike at this price.

Tyre clearance is stated at 40mm, but that doesn’t leave room for mud and we got some clogging in typical UK spring conditions.

All that adds up to a gravel bike well-suited to fast trails, but not best-suited to more demanding terrain.

• Read our full Cinelli Nemo Gravel Disc Ekar Mendini review

Ribble CGR 725 Steel

• £1,199/$1,257/AU$1,965 as tested
• Pros: Immensely versatile; classy frame
• Cons: Touch on the heavy side

The CGR 725 Steel gets its name from the slender Reynolds 725 steel tubes it’s constructed with. The frame offers not only a classy look but a cossetting ride that is more about comfort than smashing personal bests.

You can fit 29rt, 700c or 650b wheels, making this a chassis you can really tailor to your preferences. Rear rack mounts, clearance for up to 47mm tyres and bosses at the top tube add further versatility. The CGR could happily clock commuting, fitness, adventure or even training miles.

At a smidge over 11kg, it’s a little weighty though, and the TRP mechanical discs are good rather than great.

• Read our full Ribble CGR 725 Steel review

Surly Grappler

• £2,350/£1,949 as tested
• Pros: Smooth and stable on tricky terrain; high-quality frame
• Cons: Lesser brakes; drivetrain arguably not up to Shimano or SRAM quality

The Surly Grappler is noticeably taller than many of the best gravel bikes and also has a long reach. While our tester was sceptical of this geometry at first, they found it to create a brilliant bike that’s planted, solid and ideal for exploring.

The 27.5×2.5in Teravail Ehline tyres swallow up rocks and roots, while the dropper post turns it into a wicked descender.

In typical Surly style, the frame is high quality and has plenty of mounts, so you can make the most of the Grappler’s long-distance potential.

Arguably, the Microshift drivetrain and weak Tektro brakes aren’t up to the quality or performance of a Shimano or SRAM groupset.

• Read our full Surly Grappler review

What is a gravel bike?

A gravel bike is a drop-bar bike designed to be ridden on a wide variety of surfaces and not just gravel – even if this is where gravel riding did originate.

The best gravel bikes look a lot like traditional road bikes, but there are four key features that usually distinguish them.

Wider tyres

First and foremost, gravel bikes have wider tyres. Since these bicycles are designed to traverse miles of unpaved roads, their tyres are substantially larger. Likewise, mud clearance is also a concern in these conditions.

Tyre widths range anywhere from 30mm to 48mm. In addition to 700c wheels, it is also common to see smaller-diameter 650b wheels used with higher-volume tyres. Many of the best gravel bike tyres feature a fast-rolling centre tread with knurling or side knobs to improve cornering ability on mixed surfaces.

Tubeless tyres are also commonly found on gravel bikes because the latex tubeless sealant provides a degree of insurance against punctures.

Geometry

In addition to wider tyres, gravel bikes have geometry that favours stability and comfort.

The best gravel bikes have a longer wheelbase than most road bikes thanks to longer chainstays and slacker head-tube angles.

Head tubes are generally taller as well, placing the rider in a more relaxed, upright position. Bottom brackets are often lower, which gives the rider the sensation of riding in, rather than on the bicycle.

The end result of these geometry differences is a more comfortable, confidence-inspiring and forgiving ride than you would find in a typical road bike.

The best women’s gravel bikes follow the same principles in terms of geometry but are often tailored to better suit women riders.

Frame features

Another thing you’ll usually find on gravel bikes that road bikes don’t have is extra mounting points for luggage. That allows them to be used for bikepacking or just lets you add a third water bottle for long rides in the outback where water sources may be scarce. Likewise, there are often mounts on the top tube for a feed bag.

Gravel bikes also usually have mounts for a rack and mudguards/fenders, so they can do double duty as poor weather road bikes.

There’s a newer category of gravel race bikes though, like the Pinarello Grevil F and the Cervélo Áspero, which abandon their bikepacking pretensions and just have a fairly standard set of road-type mounts, maybe with extra bottle cage bosses under the down tube. They’ll have a more racy geometry, more like a road bike, and often include aero features and tube profiles.

Handlebars and stem

Gravel bikes typically have a shorter stem and wider handlebars than road-going drop bar bikes. That mirrors mountain bike geometry and leads to a bike that’s more easily manoeuvred over variable terrain.

The handlebars usually have a flare to them, where they widen out from the tops to the drops. That gives you more control when descending in the drops. It also means that if you decide to fit a bar bag, there’s more space to grab the drops without the bag getting in the way.

Gearing

Gearing is another area where gravel bikes diverge from the pack.

The rise of gravel bikes has, in turn, been accompanied by the arrival of gravel-specific groupsets. While early gravel bikes might have featured road bike groupsets with compact cranksets, the latest gravel groupsets – including Shimano GRX, Campagnolo Ekar and SRAM XPLR – provide a more suitable and forgiving selection of gears.

Given the terrain, many gravel bikes feature sub-compact cranksets and wide-range cassettes, to give a spread of gearing that remains fast on the road, while providing a low enough bottom gear for off-road climbing.

Double cranksets with 48/32t chainrings are common. Likewise, many gravel bikes come with 1x gearing and super-wide cassettes, keeping the drivetrain simple by removing the front derailleur.

You can read our guide to gravel bike setup for more on gearing choices.

Suspension

In addition to wide tyres, relaxed geometry and low gearing, many of the latest machines have active or passive gravel bike suspension systems built into them.

Much like bikes in the endurance road category, these features could take the form of slender chainstays, a bowed top tube or a skinny seatpost, all of which are designed to flex in order to absorb road chatter.

Some of the best gravel bikes take things one step further by using short-travel suspension forks, such as the Lefty Oliver or aesthetically odd but very effective Lauf Grit fork.

We’ve also seen the arrival of the RockShox Rudy XPLR gravel fork and the Fox 32 Taper-Cast Gravel.

How much do I have to spend on a gravel bike?

Well, that depends on what you define as a gravel bike. A used cyclocross bike, for example, could work perfectly well as a gravel bike and cost you a fraction of the cost of even the most basic ‘true’ gravel machine.

You can buy gravel bikes for under £1,000 with an alloy frame with entry-level components with gravel bikes under £2,000 offering slightly higher specs.

A mid-range build from a major brand will likely cost in excess of £2,000 / $2,800. Aluminium frames still dominate here but they’ll sport more up-to-date designs in terms of tubing, geometry, tyre clearance and mounting points.

Spend more and you’ll start to step into the world of carbon frames, with upscale components to match.

As is normally the case in the cycling world, it’s possible to spend a small (or not so small) fortune on a custom-built bike should you wish to.

What else do I need for gravel riding?

The growth in gravel riding has been matched with the growth in gravel-specific kit. While you can go gravel riding with your normal cycling – or sports – kit, there are numerous gravel accessories, pedals and shoes that can enhance your time riding off-road.

TRP’s new EVO12 12-speed drivetrain is a revision of its existing TR12 rear derailleur and shifter, which we’ve previously tested. A new cassette and crankset, both firsts for TRP, have been added to the line-up.

There’s no fancy wireless trickery here, with the EVO12 sticking to good old gear cables.

That doesn’t mean it lacks features to make it stand out from the crowd though, with a few key differentiators over the SRAM and Shimano equivalents – in particular, the shifter and rear derailleur.

TRP EVO12 rear derailleur

Starting with the EVO12 rear derailleur, it features a number of clever tools to help shifting performance and, importantly, keep drivetrain noise to a minimum. The latter is a key criticism many have of SRAM AXS in particular, and we had with the old TR12 derailleur.

An instant, silent clutch helps to reduce noise and chain slap, but it’s TRP’s unique Hall Lock that really sets it apart.

Designed by Aaron Gwin’s long-time mechanic, John Hall, the Hall Lock stabilises the derailleur on its B-knuckle.

This helps prevent it from swinging back and forward, keeping it nice and quiet when you’re hammering through the rough stuff.

To aid wheel removal, it can be turned off with a simple flick of a lever, and likewise, the cage release removes spring tension for quicker and easier removal.

Finally, it gets a carbon cage to reduce weight and add some bling factor, while the jockey wheels are 12 and 14T numbers respectively. Claimed weight is 300g.

TRP EVO12 gear shifter

Like the rear derailleur, the shifter packs a few features that help it stand out from the competition.

The shifter lever, which enables you to move to an easier gear, is not only angle adjustable, as you’d find on SRAM’s mechanical X01 and XX1 Eagle shifters, but there’s also a button to choose between a single shift or five downshifts in one go.

It’s Matchmaker-compatible, so you can easily mount it to a compatible brake lever and the cable exits parallel to the handlebars in a similar style to SRAM’s new Stealth brake levers for a clean look.

A nice little touch sees the gear cable routed through the upshift lever and into the shifter body, for quick cable changes. A neat rubber grommet is designed to keep dirt and water ingress to a minimum.

TRP EVO12 crankset and chainring

The alloy crankset is pretty typical of what we’d expect for the price, with forged aluminium arms, a direct-mount chainring and a 30mm spindle for maximum stiffness and efficiency.

The spindle itself also has two rubber seals that should help improve the lifespan of the bottom bracket.

If you want to drop some grams – and some money from your bank account – a carbon version is also available.

TRP has licensed MRP’s Wave technology for the chainring, with the teeth alternating their profile to suit the chain’s links. The brand claims this should offer proven chain retention in extreme conditions.

The cranksets are available in 165, 170 and 175mm lengths for the alloy version, and the carbon version in the two shorter lengths. The chainring, meanwhile, is available in 3mm Boost or 6mm chainlines in 32 or 34T sizes.

TRP EVO12 cassette and chain

The cassette mounts via Shimano’s Microspline standard and has a SRAM-equalling 520 per cent range, with a 10-52T spread.

The top end of the cassette mirrors it’s rivals’ new T-Type cassettes, with 44 and 52t respectively for nice even jumps between gears

Those two biggest cogs are made from 7075 aluminium to save weight, while the other 10 are machined from a single piece of steel.

It looks as if those less durable, aluminium biggest cogs are bolted to the steel section, so in theory, could be replaceable, but TRP hasn’t confirmed this.

The 12-speed chain is made by KMC, while the EVO12 is available in the rather stealthy black/silver finish pictured or, if you want to stand out from the crowd, a gold and black option.

I’ll be strapping it onto my bike to put it through the wringer, so stay tuned for a full review in the coming months.

TRP EVO12 drivetrain pricing

• Rear derailleur: £230-240/$229.99-239.99
• Shifter: £100-110/$99.99-109.99
• Crankset: £150-350/$149.99-349.99
• Chainring: £75/$79.99
• Cassette: £400/$398.92
• Chain: £39-73/$39-73
• Bottom bracket: £42/$41.99

Unless you’ve been subjected to an internet blackout – or prefer communicating via carrier pigeon or tin cans connected by string – you’ll know the world’s biggest bike show, Eurobike 2023, is under way.

By the time you read this, the show will be in full swing, so be sure to keep checking the BikeRadar homepage or our dedicated Eurobike 2023 page to ensure you don’t miss a single, juicy bit of new bike tech.

Elsewhere on site, it’s been another bumper week, of course.

Two electric bike motor brands have launched interesting new products.

Bosch, on one hand, has finally revealed its much-anticipated lightweight Performance Line SX motor, joining the brand’s impressive full-power Performance Line CX. With 55Nm of torque and 600W of peak power, we’re sure this motor can go toe-to-toe with Fazua’s Ride 60, Specialized’s Levo SL 1.2 unit and Trek’s TQ.

Arguably, Pinion’s E-Drive MGU all-in-one motor and gearbox is more innovative. Removing the need for a traditional external drivetrain, the ex-Porsche engineers have combined drive and gearing into one, rather compact unit.

Boasting a whopping 600 per cent gear range, up to 160Nm of torque and 600W of peak power, the MGU weighs around 4kg all in, which is lighter than most other drive units, with a drivetrain combined.

If electric bikes aren’t you thing, we’ve also seen plenty of non-assisted tech this week.

Two new lightweight XC tyres have launched; the Hutchinson Wyrm Racing Lab and the Goodyear Peak SL, both designed for the speed of cross-country and marathon racing.

If you’re feeling as energetic as Jonas Vingegaard et al, then Oakley’s bright yellow Tour de France limited-edition glasses might be right up your street.

Orbea’s house-brand Oquo has announced eight road- and gravel-specific wheelsets made from both carbon and aluminium. Although Orbea riders will probably love these, the discreet styling means riders from any bike brand can run them without clashing.

And finally, after Raleigh blew up the internet by announcing the return of the Chopper at the end of May, we’ve taken a deeper dive into the history of the model and what makes it such an icon.

Without further ado, below are some of the best bits of kit to cross BikeRadar’s virtual desks this week.

DT Swiss FR 1500 Classic

Synonymous with quality, the all-new FR 1500 Classic wheelset from Swiss-based wheel-building experts DT is made using the brand’s venerable 240 Classic hubs and the burly, range-topping aluminium FR 541 rims.

The new rim profile, DT claims, means the wheels are lighter than before, while improving on the previous model’s impact and pinch-flat resistance.

Joined using welding, the aluminium rims are said to be the most resistant in DT’s portfolio.

They’re laced to 240 hubs using the brand’s Competition spokes.

In a further drive to lose weight, the front wheel has 28 spokes (compared to 32 on the previous model), while the rear has 32 for more strength.

Onto the 240 hub. This has DT’s Ratchet EXP 36 freehub with 10-degree engagement points, quickly and easily interchangeable freehub bodies, and is fully rebuildable.

Full wheelsets are available in either 27.5in or 29in diameters and have a 30mm internal width. They use a standard 6-bolt disc mount, and rears are offered in 148mm or 157mm Boost widths, while the fronts can be bought with either 110x15mm or 110x20mm axles for enduro or DH forks.

Our set of 29in-diameter, 148x12mm rear-axle, 110x15mm front-axle, XD Driver wheels weighs 2,079g (1,009g front, 1,070g rear).

• £799.98/$1,152.80/€899.80

Five Ten Impact Pro Mid

Harking back to Five Ten’s original Impact High’s increased protection, the updated Impact Pro Mid puts the clumpy looks and feel of the old shoe on a diet.

By adding D3O protective sections on the ankles, Five Ten hopes its latest high tops won’t skimp on keeping your feet safe.

Increasing the height of the shoe’s upper, and therefore lace closure, they should offer increased ankle support and stability.

Unchanged, however, is the Stealth S1 outsole, which has kept Five Ten at the top of the pile when it comes to outright flat-pedal traction.

The Polyurethane midsole is compression moulded, and claimed to give a stiff, supportive feel.

Despite slimming down the design, they’re still quite weighty shoes.

Our pair of EU42 Impact Pro Mids weighed 1,123g.

• £160/$180

Fidlock Twist Bottle 450 + Bike Base

Something that’s often overlooked is the conundrum of finding a bottle to fit within the confines of smaller-sized full-suspension bike frames.

Usually, bike manufacturers will fit bottle mount bosses to their XS and S bikes, but not leave space for a decent bottle without it hitting the rear shock, top tube or both.

Conventional cages and bottles – even smaller ones – usually sit too proud and are too square to fit.

Some brands, such as YT, have made their own bespoke bottles (YT’s is dubbed the Thirstmaster 6000) to fit with a specific frame’s design.

Fidlock’s Twist Bottle 450 is intended to achieve that goal but on a more universal level.

The low-slung profile of the mount and bottle means it sits just 86mm proud from the bike’s frame, and end-to-end it’s 169mm long. Its curved ends help it squeeze into tight gaps.

A hinged cap means no muck gets onto its teat and spoils your drink’s taste, while the BPA-free plastic is dishwasher safe.

With a 450ml capacity, it’s the perfect size to supplement an additional bladder on longer rides, or provide enough liquid for shorter ones.

Together, the Bike Base and Twist 450 weigh 124g (bottle 101g, base 23g).

• £39.99/€39.99

Nukeproof Blackline Women’s riding kit

Nukeproof’s riding kit is a firm favourite here at BikeRadar, offering impressive performance and quality.

The brand’s new season of summer kit is no exception.

Nukeproof Blackline Women’s Short Sleeve Jersey (Earth)

This jersey, made in Italy, uses a lightweight 115gsm polyester fabric front, designed to wick away sweat and dry quickly, with a wrap-knit (mesh) 110gsm rear to maximise air flow.

An anti-bacterial finish helps it resist odours, and it offers UV protection.

Dubbed ‘trail fit’, it’s designed to be worn loosely against the body.

Rounding out the package is Nukeproof’s Bluesign-certified fabric, where textile production is sustainable and achieved without using harmful substances.

• £45

Nukeproof Blackline Women’s Trail Pants

Finally available in women’s specific fit, the Blackline Trail Pants are some of the best mountain bike trousers on the market.

A four-way stretch fabric ensures flexibility, while the DWR coating will brush off those pesky summer puddles without flinching.

Adjustable waist tabs are accompanied by popper buttons and a YKK zipper, so getting the right fit is easy.

With a slim, tapered fit, they don’t flap in the wind or become overly baggy when wet, but thanks to laser-cut ventilation holes, breathability is impressive.

• £90