Charlotte Head 6 Dec 2022 Gravel range gets a classic steel model with carbon fork, retro paintwork and SRAM XPLR gearing options Having recently celebrated its 125-year anniversary, Ribble has released a new steel gravel bike, the Gravel 725. The steel frame adopts the same geometry and frame features as the brand’s carbon fibre, titanium and aluminium Gravel variations, but Ribble promises the new bike will offer a different look and ride feel to the existing options. Fabricating the design in steel also means Ribble can offer extra build options at the more accessible end of its gravel ra ..read more

James Spender Monday, December 5, 2022 - 17:05 Fast off-road racer that flounders on the tarmac but comes into its own in the mud and dirt as one fast gravel machine. It just needs gravel 3.5 / 5 £6,800 The 1816 L’Enfer du Nord is the debut gravel bike from UK brand 1816, and takes a new approach to gravel, pairing SRAM Red AXS levers and chainset to a huge 10-52t SRAM Eagle mountain bike cassette being shifted by a SRAM XX1 Eagle AXS rear mech. The result is a bike that really inhabits every inch of the ‘could climb a wall’ cliché, and adds huge amounts of speed and stiffness to that sum to ..read more

James Spender Monday, November 28, 2022 - 17:17 A go-anywhere kind of bike that can hold its own on the road while being highly adept over a range of terrains and all weathers 4.0 / 5 £3,665 The Definition is Mason’s long-standing all-road bike, cast in aluminium from Dedacciai, designed in the UK and made in Italy. Tyre clearance is wide – up to 35mm – and geometry is relaxed though the bike remains responsive, thanks in part the stiffness of aluminium frame. Yet the Definition is still a very comfortable racer, thanks to the high-volume tyres the bike can cope with. Dom Mason launched the ..read more

Paul Norman 17 Nov 2022 Premium electric all-road bike uses the TQ motor system for low-profile power delivery BMC has launched the Roadmachine 01 AMP X, an endurance electric road bike the brand says is also designed for light gravel riding and which uses the compact, quiet TQ-HPR50 motor system claimed to weigh just 3.9kg. In the US, the Roadmachine 01 AMP X is classified as a Class 3 e-bike, allowing it to provide motor assistance up to 28mph; in Europe and elsewhere its speed is limited at 25km. Light gravel design The Roadmachine 01 AMP X is a gravel-adjacent electric bike, designed for ..read more

Will Strickson 7 Apr 2022 The Exploro Ultra is the new sibling to the Exploro RaceMax, having been designed around 61mm tyres, 650b wheels and dropper compatibility 3T has launched the Exploro Ultra gravel bike, a wide-tyred, 650b-optimised alternative to the 700c-optimised Exploro RaceMax. A retuned frameset shape means the Ultra best suits tyres up to 61mm wide on 650b wheels. It also uses a conventional 27.2mm round seatpost too, so can be fitted with a dropper post. The brains behind the aero gravel concept of every Exploro, Gerard Vroomen, says the frame has undergone several styling tw ..read more

Paul Norman Wednesday, March 16, 2022 - 13:44 Fast and well-specced gravel bike for milder off-road terrain 4.5 / 5 £4,099 The Canyon Grail CF SL 8 Di2 is a gravel bike that sits toward the upper end of Canyon’s Grail range. it is fast both on road and off and its strange-looking bars add compliance. Shimano’s GRX Di2 groupset can be configured to make shifting more efficient and typically for Canyon, the bike’s spec list represents excellent value for money. Those double-decker bars do have their quirks, though, and there’s not quite enough clearance for the 40mm tyres fitted once things ge ..read more

James Spender Monday, February 21, 2022 - 17:48 A near-perfect example of a fast, ‘classic’ gravel bike, with wheel-size and luggage versatility to boot 4.0 / 5 £1,499.99 frameset, £4,200 as tested The Condor Bivio is an adventurous gravel bike with a plethora of mounting options. The frameset pairs a triple-butted Columbus Spirit steel frame with a carbon fork, offering 42mm of tyre clearance for 700C tyres and 47mm clearance for 650B tyres.  It has a nimble handling geometry and a smooth, zingy ride quality that makes it fun to use over both road and gravel. However it is a ..read more

Will Strickson Friday, January 21, 2022 - 16:27 An all-surface bike perfect for roadies wanting to go further with improved comfort that doesn't compromise racy feel 4.5 / 5 £2,199 frameset, full build from £3,599 The Basso Palta II is a gravel bike aimed at road cyclists, which in itself shows how much the way we look at riding bikes has changed over recent years. When cycling boomed a decade or so ago, the rage was for road. Wiggins gave Britain its first Tour win; the world’s finest cycling magazine was launched, and a nation rushed to its local bike shop to buy something expensive and ca ..read more

Emma Cole 23 Sep 2022 The Ostro Gravel combines low-speed aero features, wide tyre-specific geometry and light weight Factor has added a new gravel bike to its range, dubbed the Ostro Gravel. In doing so, the brand says it has created the world’s fastest gravel bike. Created for gravel racing, the Ostro Gravel draws inspiration from the Ostro VAM, the brand’s aero road bike but with lower speed aerodynamics, fast handling and more focus on comfort. The Ostro Gravel is the newest addition to Factor’s gravel offering, and comes two years after the launch of the LS. While the LS focusses o ..read more

Paul Norman 6 Sep 2022 Lightweight frame incorporates features from BMC’s road race bikes but has a geometry like the URS BMC has launched the Kaius, a bike designed for the fast-growing segment of gravel racing and sitting alongside the existing URS, which is targeted at the gravel explorer. BMC’s strapline for the Kaius is ‘Unbound Speed’, hinting at the bike’s target rider. Gone are the days of the do-it-all gravel bike, at least at the sharp end of the segment, and there’s an increasing divide between bikes designed for bikepacking and adventure riding and gravel race bikes, designed for ..read more