Updated October 8, 2026 11:25 am Have you taken a look at the state of gravel cycling recently? It’s evolving faster than anyone can keep up with, and so are bicycles. So we got to thinking, with options more varied than ever, what exactly is the future of gravel bikes? Levy, Josh and Logan are tackling that question head on at the Velo Gravel Field Test. For this test, we’ve put together six models from across the spectrum of gravel bike designs, all progressive in their own way. From a super aerodynamic bike to what is essentially a mountain bike with an identity crisis, these six bikes couldn’t be further apart. Oh, and that’s before we get to the one with the really big wheels! And yet, they all have a valid claim to gravel. Beyond the consensus on the need for more than 50mm of tire clearance, there is no one-size-fits-all approach to gravel bikes that everyone can agree on. Should they essentially be an aerodynamic road bike modified for off-road use? Should they be lazy, aggressive, or somewhere in between? And is suspension a nebulous innovation that should stay squarely in its mountain biking lane? Don’t tell that to brands that sneak soft forks with different travel into the gravel; we have three of them in this test to analyze. The 6 bikes on test (Photo: Will Tracy/Velo) Giant Revolt Advanced SL (Photo: Max Barron/Velo) The all-rounder: compete or go on adventures. Spec: Giant Revolt Advanced SL 0, SRAM Red XPLR Tire clearance, claimed: 53mm Weight (size tested): 17.3 lbs (ML) Sarana Factor (Photo: Max Barron/Velo) The ultra-endurance machine. Spec: Sarana Factor, SRAM Force XPLR Tire clearance, claimed: 56mm Weight (size tested): 9.58kg (medium) Argon 18 Anti Matter (Photo: Max Barron/Velo) The aerodynamic approach to gravel. Spec: Argon 18 Anti Matter + SRAM RED XPLR Tire clearance, claimed: 55mm Weight (size tested): 8.5kg (medium) Obed GVR (Photo: Max Barron/Velo) The progressive road bike. Spec: Obed GVR, SRAM Red XPLR Tire clearance, claimed: 56mm Weight (size tested): 20.1 pounds (medium) Pivot Les SL drop bar (Photo: Max Barron/Velo) The drop bar mountain bike. Spec: Pivot Les SL drop bar, SRAM GX Eagle 12-speed drivetrain Tire clearance, claimed: 29 x 2.4″ Weight (size tested): 9.78kg (medium) Salsa Fargo 32 Ti (Photo: Max Barron/Velo) The 32er. How much difference do big wheels make? Spec: Salsa Fargo 32 Ti, SRAM GX Eagle drivetrain Tire clearance, claimed: 60mm Weight (size tested): 20.9 pounds (medium) The Test Riders To settle the debate over the future of gravel once and for all (or perhaps muddier it than ever), we’ve brought together three test riders who, like the bikes, couldn’t be more different. Reformed, drop-bar-obsessed mountain biker Mike Levy leads the charge, bringing a technical, rowdy background and a preference for rougher trails and off-the-beaten-path adventures, on Earth and beyond. Our host Mike Levy. (Photo: Max Barron/Velo) He is joined by Velo’s in-house team of tech editors. Josh Ross likes to travel long distances as efficiently as possible; Catch him pedaling all day and all night on the gravel roads of the Pacific Northwest and beyond. Your goal is to push your personal limits and find the gear that will help you go the extra mile (or 200 extra miles). Josh Ross, senior technical editor at Velo. (Photo: Max Barron/Velo) Having finished 18th overall in the Unbound 200, Logan Jones-Wilkins can’t stop thinking about going fast and squeezing every last drop of performance out of the gravel team. But when he’s not mixing it up in the sharper parts of racing, he likes his gravel bike to be a means of venturing into the unknown. Velo Tech Editor Logan Jones-Wilkins. (Photo: Max Barron/Velo) They are three different approaches to gravel and, naturally, their opinions are as varied as the riders themselves. Can they resolve their differences and agree on something? We may have to resort to some old-fashioned tactics to figure things out, which may or may not mean kart racing. Squamish: The Ultimate Proving Ground To put these bikes (and the riders too) to the test, we took everyone to the outdoor playground located in Squamish, British Columbia. Discovering the future of gravel means pushing bikes to the limit, so we’ve found a mix of terrain, from singletrack to washboard fire roads, to do just that. Squamish offers a little bit of everything when it comes to gravel. (Photo: Max Barron/Velo) We are testing the bikes to get the most out of them. In this first episode, we’ve created a test course that takes our riders on all types of terrain one might consider gravel, from champagne roads to clay dirt trails to rocky, slightly technical singletrack, and we’ve got climbs and descents for all of the above. Trailforks.com var script = document.createElement(“script”); script.setAttribute(“src”, “https://es.pinkbike.org/ttl-86400/sprt/j/trailforks/widget.js”); document.getElementsByTagName(“head”)[0].appendChild(script); var widgetCheck = false; Later in the series, we take the bikes through a series of head-to-head timed tests including climbing, descending, and a flat road efficiency test. Squamish is known for its mountain bike trails, but it really has a little bit of everything. (Photo: Will Tracy/Velo) To keep our testing focused on the bikes themselves, we’ve thrown in control tires, 50mm Schwalbe G-One RX tires running the same tire pressure, mounted on Easton EC90 ALX wheels. Thanks to our sponsors! Velo Field Test would not happen without the support of these sponsors. Many thanks to Endura for providing kits and helmets, Schwalbe for the tires and Easton for the wheels! The team that made the Velo Field Test possible A special thank you to the team that made this Velo Field Test happen! Filmmaker Logan Patrick Nelson leads the team. (Photo: Will Tracy/Velo) Video crew: Logan Patrick Nelson, Max Barron, Stefan Licko Video editor: Stefan Licko Bike shop support: Bici Lunch wranglin’, Kei truck driver and chauffeur: Will Tracy, Brian Park Testers: Josh Ross, Logan Jones-Wilkins Host: Mike Levy Enjoy the video and stay tuned for episode 2 releasing next week! See you next week for episode 2! (Photo: Will Tracy/Velo)
