One moment please, haven't we been here before? Yes, we have, but it was about 100 years ago. Back then, when the Tour de France was still very young and the roads consisted of cobbles, earth and stones - back then, a "racing bike" was still very suitable for everyday use and could cope with rough terrain. An evolution followed, in the course of which sports bikes with the tyres of a moon vehicle and paper-light sensitives for swept parquet developed. In addition, sports bikes for downhill riding only and those for uphill riding only. And while all this was going on, the world's population was multiplying and tarmac was being laid on almost every dirt track in rich European countries. If you look around at trade fairs and in the countryside, this development has led back to the starting point: Sports bikes with a certain versatility are booming. A few requested test bikes could not be delivered: they were sold out.
The return to the versatile sports bike smells a little of full beard shampoo, chequered flannel shirts and beer from microbreweries, and it begins once again in the USA, where the gravel road sports bike has long since arrived in racing. Long-distance races such as the "Dirty Kanza 200" in Kansas are popular - and could drive technical development back into a specialisation that is not really necessary in this country.
In the TREKKINGBIKE test, we present a range of bikes that are priced below the competition level. The seating positions range from road bikes to adventure bikes that can be loaded without a pannier rack. Between these categories, there is room for a bike type that works from sport to travelling. There are no technical regulations that define exactly what a gravel bike is. The market decides where the gap begins and ends. However, a few technical details can be found again and again, in varying combinations and with different advantages.
The question of tyres is crucial.
Cross-country racing bikes are only allowed to have 33 mm wide tyres in competition, and the corresponding frames rarely allow much more space. This is very little for relaxed riding on forest roads or with luggage. A tyre width of 37 to 42 millimetres with moderate pressure (between 2.5 and 3.5 bar) provides significantly more comfort and safety without unduly compromising agility.
On dry, firm surfaces, the Schwalbe G-One is a soft rolling force, but it doesn't like greasy surfaces at all. Here, models such as Clement's X'Plor tyres or Schwalbe's Racing Ralph are more convincing - with noticeable compromises on fast asphalt bends. The most generous tyre sizes fit through the frame and fork on Bulls, Fuji, Genesis and Giant, while the other three test bikes are at their limit with 35 mm widths, and much earlier if mudguards are fitted.
The complete article was published in Trekkingbike issue 4/2017.
