Need to know
Just what makes a ‘fast’ gravel bike and what should you demand from the trio on test? Here’s our five-step guide to these swift, multi-terrain machines
A GRAVEL BIKE is a drop-bar bike designed to let you ride over a broad range of surfaces. The drop handlebar and road bike-like design mean you can make good progress on the road, but with wider tyres, lower gearing and stable handling you can also head off the beaten track. In the same way as with other bike categories, a gravel bike from one manufacturer can look very different from another.
01 Slacker geometry
Although it looks, at first glance, like a conventional road bike, a gravel bike is built for more stable handling off-road. This typically means a longer wheelbase and slacker angles for the frame and fork, to give you a more upright riding position with a longer head-tube and shorter reach. That results in more comfort on long rides plus lets you shift your weight around to tackle obstacles and off-road descents.
02 Gravel sub-categories
Some gravel machines bear a closer resemblance to mountain bikes, while others are pitched more towards road speed and light off-road riding, like our trio on test here. As the gravel scene has matured, areas of increasing specificity have emerged across the discipline. From horizon-chasing, tour-ready load luggers to road-adjacent, aero-inspired whippets, there really is a gravel bike for everyone now. Of these loosely defined categories, the gravel race-bike market expanded most significantly in 2021.
03 Versatility
While all three bikes here can be defined as a gravel race bike, each features differing levels of versatility. The Trek Checkpoint is, without doubt, the most bikepackingfriendly of the bunch, with mounts for just about everything you could ever want to fit to a bike. This includes internal storage in the frame, routed cables that shouldn’t interfere with bags, integrated frame-bag mounts plus rack and mudguard mounts.
04 Race performance
The Wilier Rave and Specialized Crux sit further along the racing spectrum, but take different approaches to performance. The Crux is designed to be an uncompromisingly light race bike – the lightest out there, if you believe Specialized – that can accommodate truly chunky tyres. The Wilier goes down an alternative route. It’s more road-like in design and ride character, with comparatively limited tyre clearances to match.
05 How we tested
Our testing involved skittering over the hardpacked Fosse Way in the Cotswolds, cruisy loops on local roads and getting bogged down in the mire of claggy midwinter byways. Current availability issues dictated the shape of this test. This is reflected in the broad range of prices featured. While this makes an apples-toapples comparison in terms of value for money and specs harder, the test is still a valuable assessment of the overall package each of the frameset families offer.