Today, road bikes, like mountain bikes, have their own segmented markets. In addition to traditional race aero road bikes, climbing bikes, and cyclocross bikes, new types such as endurance long-distance bikes and gravel road bikes continue to redefine what a road bike is.

In particular, gravel road bikes, which originated in the United States, have quietly risen to prominence, becoming popular road bikes for many brands. Gravel road bikes are not the same as cyclocross (off-road road) bikes; their longer wheelbase offers more stability, and they feature a more relaxed frame geometry rather than an aggressive one. Gravel road bikes have a wide range of applications for non-competitive riders, incorporating various elements from road bikes, mountain bikes, and even long-distance touring bikes, offering riders more choices and upgrade potential.

▲The Specialized Diverge, one of the representative models of the Meth Gravel Bike, combines the latest Future Shock suspension head tube via an endurance platform, which is a typical example of cooperation beyond the boundaries of the road bike segmented market.

Next, let's compare and introduce the differences between gravel road bikes and cyclocross bikes.

1. Differences in Bike Usage

Cyclocross bikes are popular in Europe and America for winter cycling. They are typically circuit races held on closed courses, with single lap lengths usually around 2.5 km to 3.5 km and widths less than 3 m. The race sections include artificial paved courses and natural circuits, with the entire course encompassing obstacles, gravel, dirt, grass, continuous curves, and more. In particular, continuous dampeners placed across the circuit and steep slopes require riders to "carry the bike and run," which has become a staple image of cyclocross competitions. Cyclocross bikes are weapons designed for complex terrains, demanding "aggressive" race attributes. On the other hand, gravel road bikes, as a new category, are designed to be detached from racing. They are built to carry equipment necessary for multi-day rides over mixed terrains like gravel, and they prioritize comfort for off-road riding and passability over rough off-road surfaces.

▲Gravel road bikes are designed for multi-day rides over mixed terrains such as gravel, and they can carry the equipment needed for such multi-day journeys.

2. Differences in Frame

Cyclocross frames are lighter because riders often need to "carry and run." Gravel road frames are typically heavier, requiring stiffness to increase load capacity. Pure cyclocross frames do not have fender or rack mounting holes, but gravel road bikes need to carry equipment to cope with harsh conditions on multi-day rides. Therefore, in addition to common water bottle cage holes, they often have water bottle holes on the down tube and outer end of the front fork, and even cargo rack mounting holes on the rear of the triple triangle. Cyclocross bike frames have a shorter wheelbase and an aggressive frame geometry, and the bottom bracket position is higher than that of gravel road frames. Finally, in terms of frame geometry, cyclocross bikes typically use a head tube angle of 72-73° for quicker turning, while gravel road bike frames usually have a head tube angle around 71°, adopting a more relaxed angle to improve stable handling and suitability for comfortable long-distance touring.

▲In terms of frame geometry, cyclocross bikes typically use a head tube angle of 72-73° for quicker turning.

3. Differences in Tires

In recent years, some cyclocross bikes have begun to adopt wider tires to improve mud clearance, which requires more space in muddy conditions. While slightly larger than regular road bike tire clearance, they are constrained by UCI regulations in races and cannot exceed 33 mm. Gravel bike tire clearance is even larger, reaching up to 55 mm. However, tubeless tire setups are already widespread in both types of bikes.

4. Differences in Cassette Gear Ratios

Cyclocross bikes generally use a gear ratio of 46/36 with a medium-sized freewheel, for example, an 11-28 freewheel. This is because a greater number of smaller gear ratios are needed for climbing. Gravel road bikes require a wider gear ratio to handle ever-changing mixed terrain. The SRAM Force 1 X system is prevalent, and for double chainrings, 50/34 or an 11-32 rear freewheel is common, though some brands combine 48/32 or 42/28 cassettes.

▲Meth Gravel Bikes require a wider gear ratio to handle constantly changing mixed terrain, and the SRAM Force 1 X system is predominantly used.

5. Thru-Axle Standards

In 2010, the UCI sanctioned hydraulic disc brakes for cyclocross (road off-road), and this technology has been widely applied to road bike categories, including gravel bikes. Currently, both utilize mainstream 12 mm thru-axle brakes. Disc brakes provide powerful stopping force on complex terrain, offering stability in wet conditions.

6. Differences in Riding Posture

Because gravel road bike frames have longer head tubes and shorter top tubes, and the length of the chainstays is also longer than cyclocross frames, with most gravel road frames having a typical length of about 465 mm. Cyclocross frames typically have a length of about 425 mm. Therefore, in actual riding posture, gravel road bikes are more upright, while cyclocross frames are more aggressive.

▲Gravel bike frames have longer head tubes and shorter top tubes.

Supplementary Information

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You may have seen many cycling media outlets advocating for a gravel bike. Perhaps you're trying to understand the difference between a gravel bike and a cyclocross bike.

What is a gravel bike? A gravel bike is a road bike that can also be ridden on gravel tracks, canal towpaths, and off-road sections. These bikes are stronger than road bikes, can accommodate wider tires, and may also have various mounts for cycling and touring.

Gravel Bike vs Cyclocross Bike Geometry

If you consider how you'll use a gravel bike versus a cyclocross bike, you'll understand why different geometries are needed. With a gravel bike, you'll be in the saddle for several hours, perhaps even days. You'll be out in the wilderness, and the route you've chosen might have some surprises. You'll need a stable ride as you might encounter rough terrain. You want a bike that won't throw you off when riding on rough country roads.

Cyclocross involves racing through muddy winter fields. You'll spend an hour dismounting and remounting, hopping over obstacles, bumping your bike into corners, avoiding ditches, and dealing with ice and snow. This bike is designed to be fast in sprint-style events.

So, cyclocross bikes tend to have more aggressive angles than gravel bikes. One is designed for endurance, the other for sprinting.

Part of the evolution of gravel bikes is that entry-level cyclocross bikes used to come with water bottle mounts, fenders, and pannier mounts. This was designed for you to get a better deal. Commuters could buy them and also dabble in cyclocross on weekends. Now, these mounts are commonly used on gravel bikes, and there's one major difference between gravel and cyclocross bikes.

Cyclocross Bike Standover Height

You don't want to do this because it shortens the top tube. Another issue is stack height. Cyclocross bikes, like race bikes, feature a low stack height.

What is stack height? Stack height is a crucial measurement in bike fitting. It measures the vertical distance from the center of the bottom bracket to the center of the top of the frame's head tube.

Gravel Bike Stack Height Fits Commuters

You've probably seen professional riders slamming their stems. They position their stems as low as possible and don't add anything to the bike's stack. Some might even lower the stack further. However, these people call masseuses, chiropractors, and doctors. They also don't just ride bikes for a living. If you sit at a desk all day, can you be as flexible as a professional rider?

The answer is probably no. That's why stack is important. Can you bend to fit a low stack height? Most people can't. Cyclocross bikes are designed with a low stack for racers. On a smaller bike, this stack becomes even smaller. If you do this, you'll want to start yoga.

Gravel bikes have a larger stack. Why do they do this? The head tube length is longer than on cyclocross bikes. This positions you slightly higher than a low stack. This reduces stress on your spine and lower back. It helps alleviate lower back pain and groin pain. Nobody wants groin pain. You might also find riding more efficient.

If you're commuting, a higher stack is better.

Gravel Bike vs Cyclocross Head Angle

The discussion about a bike frame's head tube doesn't end here. Cyclocross frames are designed for racing. They are designed for quick turning. Gravel bikes are designed for comfort and carrying significant loads for touring.

Therefore, these two bikes require different head angles. Cyclocross bikes will have a head angle of around 72 to 73 degrees. You'll find that gravel bikes have a shallower angle. A shallower angle provides more stability, especially when descending with a fully loaded gravel bike.

To match this head angle, you'll also find that gravel bikes have a shorter top tube than cyclocross bikes. With a shorter top tube, you sit a bit more upright, preventing your body from being stretched out as on a cyclocross bike. Again, this is for increased stability and comfort during long rides. It's fine to stretch for a one-hour race, but you'll probably feel quite different about it after eight hours on gravel.

Gravel or Cyclocross Chainstays

Like the top tube, gravel bikes and cyclocross bikes have different chainstay lengths. Gravel bikes have longer chainstays, while cyclocross bikes have shorter ones. Cyclocross bikes have shorter chainstays for a racier feel, while gravel bikes have longer ones for stability.

If you need stability for touring, you might also be concerned about heel clearance. You don't want to kick your saddlebag with every pedal revolution. Cyclocross bikes have 425mm long chainstays because heel strike with saddlebags isn't an issue in cyclocross races.

Gravel bikes have chainstays about 460mm long. The longer length can also damp road noise. From a well-designed rear end length, you can get both comfort and stability.

Some gravel bikes designed for large endurance events are also bringing back chainstay length. The reason is that these bikes are now designed to use the massive saddle packs and frame bags that are currently in use. These bikes are designed with speed in mind. This is what we meant earlier when we said there's an interplay.

You'll also want to look at tire clearance when looking at the rear of the bike.

Gravel Bike Tire Width

The UCI has set limits on the width of cyclocross tires; for cyclocross races in UCI events, tire width must be 33mm or less. Cyclocross frames were designed with this as the maximum clearance, allowing just 33mm of tire width plus a little space for mud.

For gravel cycling, where the UCI is not involved, many people found that the more they rode gravel, the more comfort a gravel bike provided, and the wider the tire, the better the ride.

Now you can find gravel bikes with clearance for tires up to 2 inches wide. This is ideal when you accidentally end up on an inappropriate mountain bike course. There are also other things that gravel bikes and cyclocross bikes have adopted from mountain bike tubeless tires.

Stopping and fixing a flat is never fun. Going tubeless removes that risk. You might still get punctures, but most will self-seal. You can also safely ride with lower tire pressure and regain a comfortable ride.

Tubeless is great, and with the right wheelset and tire choice, setup takes only a few minutes.

ICAN AC388 Frameset

If you're like me, you might think that building your dream bike is a very personal endeavor. Each part is chosen for its individual merits. You can spend hours, days, weeks, sometimes months, thinking about the parts you want. There's no place where this is more real than when building a gravel bike.

With gravel bikes, you can spend hours discussing tire choices. You might encounter an outburst of anger from a road or mountain biker if you just give the wrong answer. You know what you want, and you don't want what's off the shelf. Let's move on to the ICAN AC388 frameset.

At the heart of every custom build is this amazing frame. The ICAN AC388 frame is designed as the core of a gravel race bike. This frame is designed to handle very harsh self-supported gravel races, allowing you to build a lightweight and sturdy frame.

The lightweight and durable frame is made from Toray T700 carbon fiber. Toray T700 is ideal for building bicycle frames as it helps create a sturdy frame that meets standards. ICAN can also make frames much more affordable than you might currently imagine by selling directly to you from the factory. We all want an affordable carbon gravel bike frame.

The frame comes with a BB86 bottom bracket for easy crank installation. The shell area around the bottom bracket is massive, ensuring all power is transmitted to the rear wheel. The rear wheel spacing is 142x12mm to ensure you can choose the highest quality wheels. You can also install super-stiff wheelsets, and shock-resistant 29er wheelsets. It is also compatible with 135mm quick-release wheels. The front fork has 100x12mm spacing.

The gravel frame features internal cable routing to ensure cables function properly even on muddy and gravel roads. It is designed to make cable installation and repair as easy as possible. You don't need to worry about pulling your hair out trying to connect gear cables to this frameset.

There are great gravel bikes and great gravel frames for you. Two excellent choices for slowly traversing stone-covered roads.

Perhaps less-traveled roads will soon be frequented by those on gravel bikes.

Gravel vs Cyclocross

These are the basics of the differences between cyclocross bikes and gravel bikes. You could also add gear choices and handlebar choices, but from here on, it becomes subjective, not objective. So what happens to us? You might be considering a new gravel bike.

Here's one of our favorite new gravel bikes for 2019.

Welcome to the ICAN Explorer!

ICAN might not be a brand you've heard of. But in some internet forums and other places, ICAN is considered one of the most consumer-friendly bike brands in the world.

The ICAN Explorer is one of a new kind of gravel bike designed for racing. It has geometry that's halfway between a cyclocross bike and a more relaxed gravel bike. This bike will make racing easier. Strap on saddlebags, frame bags, and handlebar bags, and take on the world.

The ICAN Explorer gravel bike is built around a Toray T800 carbon fiber frameset. This frameset is light and strong, practically begging you to take it on big rides. This bike will devour America's Dirty Kanza gravel race and England's Dirty Reiver. I also consider it a very strong candidate to help you win transcontinental races. All while leaving you with enough money to buy all the extra gear you'll need for racing.

To ensure the bike moves and stops properly, ICAN has equipped it with a Shimano Ultegra groupset. It offers the same quality as Dura-Ace but at a more budget-friendly price. Shimano guarantees solid quality, and the wear parts aren't that expensive, so you don't have to fear repairing the bike. You wouldn't want to buy a new cassette for your gravel bike every two or three months. To handle the high specs, we've provided a carbon fiber wheelset.

These are 50mm deep-section carbon wheels. These wheels can fly at very high speeds, and best of all, they are tubeless-ready. You can install wide tires and ride comfortably on gravel all day. Or you can ride at high pressure and join a chain gang. The Explorer is very versatile, and you'll never feel it's holding back your progress. These wheels conquer mountain roads.