Looking beyond the MTB horizon: Are gravel bikes also interesting for us mountain bikers?

How many bikes should you own? Opinions differ here. Ultimately, everyone has to decide for themselves and make it dependent on the intended use. Dirt bike, race hardtail, trail bike, all-mountain, enduro, freerider, downhiller. Oh yes, and then there are the various categories with a motor. You can spend an incredible amount of money on bikes. And now some are even proselytising that mountain bikers need a gravel bike. "It's about creating new stimuli. That works very well with the gravel bike," says Ines Thoma in the interview.

What mountain bikers say about gravel bikes

I now prefer to use a gravel bike in winter rather than a hardtail. I use them to ride sketchy trails, hone my riding technique and rack up the kilometres. During the bike season, however, I only use a mountain bike. - Korbi Engstler, professional biker

For a long time I thought gravel bikes were superfluous, but I'm beginning to understand the appeal because a) they take you away from the road and traffic and b) you can travel at higher speeds on forest tracks. - Nina Graf, XCO racer

How many bikes am I supposed to fit? I don't understand the gravel bike hype; as a mountain biker, I prefer a hardtail for this area of use. It can do everything a gravel bike can do. - Stefan Frey, BIKE Editor

Best of all-rounders

Canyon Grizl CF SL 6 AXS

Riding comfort, equipment, travel features and, last but not least, the awesome price: the Canyon is a remarkable gravel bike. The only thing missing to make it a top all-rounder is a touch of sportiness. Click here for the detailed test.
Weight: 9.7 kilos |TOUR grade: 2.0 | Price: 2499 euros.

Giant Revolt Advanced 2

The Giant Revolt Advanced 2 proved in the TOUR comparison test that it is one of the most complete gravel bikes and therefore deserves a recommendation as an all-rounder. It can't do anything brilliantly, but it can do everything at a very high level. It is also optimally equipped. Click here for the detailed test.

Weight: 9.4 kilos | TOUR grade: 2.1 | Price: 2999 euros >> available here.

Storck Grix.2 Comp Force XPLR

The Storck Grix.2 Comp manages the balancing act between agile gravel racer and adventure companion better than almost any other bike. Wide range of use, very good rear comfort. Click here for the detailed test.

Weight: 8.8 kilos | TOUR grade: 2.1 | Price: 4999 euros.

Best-of-Race

Rose Backroad FF

The Rose Backroad FF Force AXS XPLR is one of the sportiest gravel bikes currently available. Thanks to its low weight and lightning-fast tyres, the Rose is excellent on the throttle. The riding position is very sporty. Fair price. Click here for the detailed test.

Weight: 8.3 kilos | TOUR grade: 2.0 | Price: 4999 euros >> available here.

BMC Kaius 01 One

The BMC Kaius 01 One is one of the most impressive race gravel bikes on the market. The bike can speed over gravel and forest tracks like only very few gravel bikes can. It also craves speed on tarmac. Even road racers are sometimes not as powerful and lively. Click here for the detailed TOUR test.

Weight: 7.6 kilos | TOUR grade: n/a | Price: 11499 euros

Specialised S-Works Crux

The S-Works Crux is a technical delicacy that playfully transfers the appeal of a fast road bike to off-road terrain and is an excellent way to race over gravel tracks. Unfortunately decadently expensive. Cheaper alternative: Specialised Crux DSW (2700 euros), Click here for the detailed TOUR test duel.

Weight: 7.1 kilos | TOUR grade: 1.8 | Price: 13000 euros

Best of bikepacking

Focus Atlas Carbon 8.8

With its carbon Atlas, Focus offers an all-round carefree package for gravel adventurers. The stiff Atlas 8.8 also accelerates quickly and is comparatively easy to chase over the gravel motorway at high speed. Only on steep ramps do you realise that you don't have a race gravel bike under your saddle. Click here for the detailed TOUR test.

Weight: 9.2 kilos | TOUR grade: 1.9 | Price: 3699 euros >> available here.

Wilier Adlar

The Italian manufacturer Wilier presents an exciting new interpretation of a touring bike. The ingredients: Lots of smoothness, lots of payload, lots of tyre clearance and lots of accessories. There are MTB genes in here. Click here for the detailed test.

Weight: 9.8 kilos | TOUR grade: 2.6 | Price: 4000 euros >> available here.

Trek Checkpoint SL6 AXS

With its Checkpoint, Trek is focussing on a particularly comfortable riding experience. On rough terrain, the bike impresses with its unshakeable straight-line stability, but winding cross courses are not its strong point. Click here for the detailed TOUR test.

Weight: 9.4 kilos, TOUR grade: 1.9, price: 4799 euros >> available here.

Interview - Ines Thoma on gravel bikes: "It's about creating new stimuli".

Ines, you are a self-confessed gravel fan. Why are these off-road racing bikes interesting for mountain bikers?
Ines Thoma: Because it creates a new stimulus. At least that's how I felt. Enduro mountain biking is my passion, but I now only enjoy it on really good routes. Unfortunately, I don't have them on my doorstep. With the gravel bike, I suddenly had fun again on tame trails, gravel paths and forest tracks.

Why don't you go for a mountain bike hardtail?
In my experience, I do longer laps on the gravel bike and it's much more fun on forest and tarmac roads because it goes faster. However, if you do a lot of trail riding, a hardtail is definitely the better choice.

There are the categories: Race, Allround, Adventure. Which type of gravel bike makes the most sense? True, not all gravel bikes are the same, but they are very close together. You should look for wide tyres, 45 millimetres are good for off-road riding and provide comfort. I also recommend tubeless tyres. Opinions differ when it comes to handlebar flair; bikers will appreciate handlebars with more flair because they offer a wider grip underneath. Also important: the gear ratio. Conventional gravel gear ratios are not suitable for steep gravel climbs, so I recommend an MTB cassette on the rear hub.

What about suspension fork and telescopic seat post?
Opinions differ here too. I've tried a lot, but now I'm of the opinion that you don't need either. After all, your gravel bike shouldn't be heavier than your hardtail.

>> You can find out more about gravel bikes in this article.