Gravel Price Point

Felt Breed 30 $2,399

Gravel bikes are super hot these days. They let you get away from city traffic on routes that are easier to ride than mountain bike trails. The Felt Breed 30 is a well-spec’d aluminum gravel rig that features Shimano’s 11-speed mechanical grx gravel-specific drivetrain, grx hydraulic disc brakes and 700 x 38c Vittoria Terreno Dry tubelessready tires, which will allow you to carve up any dirt road. The Breed can also run 650b (read: mountain bike) wheels and 2.1" wide tires if you want even more rubber beneath you. There are six frame sizes available to accommodate riders as tall as 6'5". Added bonus: the unique satin glow green colour. ( can-en. feltbicycles.com)

Cube Nuroad C:62 Pro $3,749

German brand Cube is tapping into the gravel market with its Nuroad series. The C:62 Pro boasts a carbon-fibre frameand-fork combo to take the sting out of rougher roads, and comes with a mix of Shimano’s gravel-specific grx group. grx provides you with a better grip on the hoods and a clutch on the rear derailleur to keep the chain under better tension on rough terrain. Twin 160-mm rotors for the hydraulic disc brakes are good to see. Internal cable routing is another nice touch. A Fulcrum wheelset with 40-mm Schwalbe G-one Allround tires rounds out this appealing package. ( cube-bikes.ca)

Garneau Garibaldi G4 $1,099

The Garibaldi G4 is Garneau’s pricepoint gravel bike, which will allow riders who don’t have deep pockets to explore country roads on a new bike. The parts aren’t super fancy, but they’re solid where it counts. Shimano Claris shifters, front and rear derailleurs, and brake levers are respectable and should last several seasons. Larger riders would, however, be wise to upgrade the Promax brakes for better stopping power. The aluminum frame, fork and wheels are a great platform to build on. Upgrade other parts as they wear out, and you’ll be able to ride this bike for years to come. ( garneau.com)— Stuartkernaghan