Gravel bike ranking: Best of Test: The best gravel bikes from 2025

Gravel bikes have been enriching our everyday editorial work for more than ten years. Off the road and into the wilderness: For us, too, the test excursions on meadow and forest paths are always a welcome change. Particularly sporty models are often even more fun to ride than the most expensive road racing bikes. The bike slides and bounces and must always be kept under control in physical limits. With a light bike, this is part of the fun and often pure joy, with a heavy bike it is rather exhausting. When gravel riding, you don't just feel the weight on the mountain, you feel it all the time. Perhaps the formative impression of race-orientated bikes is also due to the fact that it is a rare pleasure to be able to ride gravel bikes at or even under eight kilos.

Also for gravel bikes: low weight is becoming increasingly important

You can count bikes in this weight class on one hand. This year, we were able to enjoy this experience three times and give it an A before the decimal point. The Specialized Crux has been around for a few years, but it reminded us of this riding experience again after a long time. Not much heavier, but significantly cheaper, the new Grix.3 from Storck was also very convincing. The top version of the new SuperX from Cannondale is supposed to be similarly light; however, the test version, which is only half the price, was already a lot of fun and impressed us with its excellent comfort. It wouldn't be bad if this development could become a trend.

3rd place: S-Works Crux from Specialised

The S-Works Crux is a technical delicacy that transfers the appeal of a fast road bike to off-road terrain and is an excellent choice for chasing down gravel tracks. The blatant lightweight construction demands compromises; the look is conservative and there are no options for carrying luggage in the form of threaded eyelets. The stiffness values don't come close to the fabulous values of a Tarmac and it's not particularly comfortable either, so the wide tyres have to make up for that. But all this is easy to get over, because no other racer is as easy to ride through the undergrowth as the Crux: 7.1 kilos are simply unrivalled. Unfortunately, this also applies to the price, which is 13,000 euros.

• Weight: 7.1 kilogramme
• Price: 13,000 euros
• TOUR grade: 1,8

The Specialised S-Works Crux in a detailed test

2nd place: Grix.3 from Storck

Alongside the sinfully expensive Specialized Crux, the new Storck Grix.3 rolled into the editorial office as the second lightest gravel bike in test history at 7.4 kilos. But there is still room for improvement: With an (even) higher quality groupset, it could come within a few grams of the record holder, but would be 5000 euros cheaper. The geometry and handling also stand out from the mass of off-road racers, with a lot of saddle elevation and extremely manoeuvrable handling, the overall concept is almost reminiscent of a competition crosser. The lightweight wheels with carbon spokes in particular characterise the lively handling. Thanks to the many eyelets for mudguards and luggage, you don't have to compromise on functionality.

• Weight: 7.4 kilogrammes
• Peis: 6799 Euro
• TOUR grade: 1,7

The Storck Grix.3 in a detailed test

1st place: SuperX from Cannondale

At first glance, the SuperX is a wide tyre copy of the SuperSix Evo road racer. This should bring aerodynamic advantages, but above all the gravel racer looks extremely elegant. However, it is not the racing character that convinces us the most, but the enormous suspension comfort. Few race bikes iron out bumps better than the Cannondale. Thanks to the long wheelbase, plenty of fork travel and slack head angle, the bike is predestined for long gravel races à la Unbound: nothing for angled cyclocross courses, but on gravel motorways it is a real delight. As mentioned, the top version reduces the weight significantly - the US-Americans are probably building the best gravel bike at the moment in terms of grades.

• Weight: 8.4 kilogrammes
• Price: 6899 Euro >> available here
• TOUR grade: 1,6

The Cannondale SuperX in a detailed test