Gravel bikes vs road bikes, what’s the difference?


A gravel bike is the do-it-all companion where a road bike just won’t cut it. Although it’s fair to say that road bikes can be organized into a number of different categories, for our purposes we’ll say we’re not going to include triathlon, time trial, or track bikes here. We’re focused on bikes like the S5, R5, or Caledonia compared to our gravel bike, the Áspero.To get more news about road bicycle rims, you can visit zpebicycle.com official website.

With a focus on engineering fundamentals like aerodynamics, weight, and stiffness, road bikes are designed to find all the slivers of speed on asphalt descents and long-technical climbs. Riding down a paved mountain pass, nothing responds like the R5. Lean hard into a dusty corner on a fire road and you’re less likely to feel the same way. Meet the gravel bike—designed to go where a road bike would quickly find its limits.

While the profile of a road and a gravel bike look similar at first glance (which is also why you’re likely digging around for information), it’s the details like geometry, tire clearance and wheel size options, gearing, and components that set gravel bikes apart from their tarmac loving counterparts.This boils down to a couple of general points and a few specific design choices that include trail values, wheelbase length, bb drop, and how those work together to create the sensation of stability and smooth handling that inspires confidence when you’re going fast on rough, beat-up roads.

Trail values get longer to bring the handling in line with what feels more appropriate for rough roads. Trail is the front-wheel response to rider input, and it’s the most critical factor in high-velocity handling. On the Aspero this is adjustable with the TrailMixer, a flip-chip built into the fork.Your wheelbase typically gets longer, which gives you more room to adjust weight fore and aft as needed, a critical part of riding fast or racing when you don’t know exactly what the road ahead holds.

The frame geometry is typically more upright and designed to give you the body position to achieve the control and comfort—key for putting in miles in more technical terrain. Frame designs like the Aspero shift the design priorities towards power and aggressiveness but still less so than an aero race bike like the S5.

BB drop gets lower—which in turn positions your center of pedaling power lower and, in combination with the changes mentioned above, adds yet another layer to the confidence/stability/plantedness equation oh-so-critical for having a good time on gravel roads.