Cervelo Aspero – https://bit.ly/3t9DqKH
Gravel bikes are the worst of mountain biking with the worst of road biking combined. I have been against them from the beginning but I actually bought one. This video is explaining why I bought the Cervelo Aspero gravel bike.
#gravelbike #gravelriding #roadbike #mountainbike
Subscribe ► https://www.youtube.com/bike198?sub_confirmation=1
Free 138 page Riding Tips E-Book Download Here ► https://www.bike198.com/ramped-riding/
Tech and Smart Home Reviews ► https://www.youtube.com/rsutton1223?sub_confirmation=1
Follow on Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/bike198_official/
Follow on Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/bike198/
Support our Affiliates
JensonUSA – https://bit.ly/3lKnPu2
Competitive Cyclist – https://bit.ly/2H4epuG
Backcountry – https://bit.ly/3j5Uvw6
Trek Bikes – https://bit.ly/3nYtf6E
Social CBD – https://bit.ly/3k5NMDM
Hey guys how’s it going it’s rob sutton with bike 198. the purpose of this video today is to talk about something i thought i would never do and i actually bought a gravel bike so i want to talk to you about it let’s get started
So i’m going to go ahead and tell you i have been one of those guys that has been against gravel bikes from the very start i really didn’t get the point of them at all there’s already cross bikes road biking and everything else it just seemed like another way for the bike
Industry to just kind of shove something else down our throat so i’ve been adamantly against them and let’s go into why i think that one it for me it is the worst parts about road biking combined with the worst parts about mountain biking you take the boring parts of each
And put them into one bike and you get a gravel bike for us mountain bikers gravel roads are typically connector trails to get through some other part of single track we’d rather not use them but they’re an efficient way to get to better downhills and better trails and
They’re used as like interconnects that are really boring to ride you only end up just having a conversation during the entire thing just to get to the next section of single track for road bikers the fun part about road biking is going fast and this bike is slower at
Everything when it comes to road biking whether it be climbing or descending so if you’re on the road this is not a very good bike for you to have to begin with and there’s something really fun about going over 50 miles an hour down some twisty mountain roads it’s like riding a
Sport bike without a motor and this is just not really built for that purpose so you can take the worst parts about mountain biking combine it with the worst parts about road biking and you end up with this gravel bike you see behind me anyone who’s been into biking
For any period of time knows the biking industry loves to just shove something new down your throat so they have something else to sell and for me the gravel bike really seemed like that in the very beginning what you don’t have a single speed you don’t have a road bike
You don’t have a cross bike an e-bike oh now you need a gravel bike so by the end of it you’ve got 12 different bikes that the industry has all told you that you have to have by some new standard oh you have a cross bike nope that bottom bracket height and
The geometry is not set up for gravel riding the biking industry is notorious for coming up with new standards new categories to try to get us to buy new things that we probably don’t need and the gravel bike for me really kind of felt in that category when it first came
Out it’s like it’s just too much of a mix of other bikes that they just try to one up and just make something else that you just have to get and just have to have so if i hate gravel bikes so much what’s really the purpose of this video and why
Did i even get one to begin with first off i sold all of my road bikes a couple years ago and there’s a very clear picture of why i did this distracted drivers it has gotten dangerous to ride on these roads that we used to call safe around our house i’ve seen several
People hit over the past couple years and the amount of road bikers on the road is dwindling pretty quickly just because of the safety aspect if someone’s not looking at their phone they’re also willing to use a several thousand pound vehicle as some kind of ram to pull you off the road after
Enough close calls having enough friends getting hit and having seen other people get hit on the road i hung it up i was just done with it it wasn’t worth the risk anymore to get out there and road ride but that took something really different away from my riding experience and that
Is road biking was the only way that i could actually leave from my driveway and ride i don’t have any local trails here where i could just leave from the house so road biking was really that way that i was able to get out and enjoy riding and stay in shape straight from
My driveway not have to drive to a trail drive back and make a big ordeal out of it so something i could really easily do in the mornings or during the week to stay in shape and enjoy riding my bike so this is where i get a little bit
Luckier than most and it’s the reason i bought this bike you see behind me i am lucky enough to live in an area that is filled with horse farms and what that means is all of these roads that all these horse farms are actually built on are considered horse trails and they’re
All made out of gravel so when i started looking at strava and some other ride segments i was able to find routes that i could actually mix together mostly gravel roads be 60 or 70 gravel 30 tarmac it made it so that i’m able to actually leave from the house on the
Gravel bike and get out and enjoy a ride on these gravel roads mixing in with very little traffic to make the safety a lot higher than it would have been on a dedicated road ride now this is where i kind of get the gravel bike what i wanted was something
That wasn’t going to be so dog slow on tarmac but would be really good on gravel as well so that’s how i ended up with this cervelo espero there were a couple of things that i needed to have in a gravo bike and it checked basically all the boxes including being in stock
And competitive cyclist one the geometry is close enough to a road bike that if i have to be on the road it doesn’t feel just really sluggish i didn’t want one that was more of a really dedicated gravel bike that had slacker geometry or any kind of
Suspension tied to it what i needed was a burly road bike that had slack enough geometry that i could really bomb down gravel roads but when i got on tarmac it didn’t feel like i was riding a mountain bike so this one really fell into that category well the other thing for this
Bike is that is the same carbon frame they use for that entire line except for the very top end so it meant if i wanted to upgrade this bike over time i wouldn’t be over upgrading the frame like i would be if i was getting something that was steel or aluminum so
I’ve got a full carbon frame that if i wanted to really deck it out with wheels and good components i wouldn’t be over upgrading the bike it would be right at its home because there are other models with the exact frame that run that same price point tell you after the last
Couple of months of riding it it is actually filling that need exactly like i would like i’m able to get out on these gravel roads enjoy a ride when i wouldn’t be able to otherwise and really stay away from traffic so the real purpose for me of the gravel bike is
Actually to replace road biking because i’m not able to get out there as safely as i was able to in the past this fills that void so now i can finally see why people do actually like these gravel bikes if they’re using them for the same
Purpose i am so guys i want to hear what you think about gravel bikes down in the comments section below do you like them do you see any purpose in them do you have one yourself also please be sure to like this video if you enjoyed it please subscribe to
Bike 118 for more reviews and other videos like this in the future and until then on to the next one thanks guys You
50 Comments
I've had a similar opinion as you about drivers. Here in South florida , drivers are just dangerous, no other way of putting it. Riding a mountain bike now, but missed my Bianchi for road rides , so going to buy a Giant Gravel bike . Thanks for a good honest video.
To me the gravel bike is similar to an SUV; if doesn’t do anything great, but it does many things well. In a perfect world I would love to have a pickup and a car, but the SUV, as a one-vehicle owner, addresses much if what both a truck and a car offer.
For a one-bike quiver and depending on where one lives, tough to beat the logic and function of owning a gravel bike.
Don't forget to check out our t-shirt line! https://bike198.creator-spring.com
Hey cycling is fun and I have been doing Road ridding until recently had and accident and got hit. Not very much Boldly injury some nothing to cause major physical changes. The bike did get quite some and the damages but it was all paid for by the other party. I was looking for some change and found out from friends about Gravel ridding so it is on the way: waiting on the bike to come in and sold the Road bike.. Not trying to make any derogatory statement's but the Cell phone rage distracts everyone on the Road to much and causes some serious accidents.
What really annoys me on gravel bikes is the price. I'm absolutely not willing to pay over 1000€ for a bicycle. And why can't the bike industry not just simply use common parts and groups instead of inventing new ones, eventually with new standards so that nothing is interchangable and you have to buy the new parts at a much higher price? For me an aluminium gravel bike with a 3×9 group, v-brakes and quick realease axels for about 800€ would absolutely do the job…
Worthless? Kind of harsh dude
The only thing I hate about gravel is the term "gravel"… all terrain bike (ATB) would have been better lol….but despite being a roadie at heart I'm living in a place with limited roads that are pretty much all busy/rat runs and the standard of driving I'm seeing each time I go out terrifies me at times. I have Exposure TraceR day bright lights (2 at the back, 1 front) all year round and sometimes I feel like it makes no odds…. they don't give a flying f**k where and when they stupidly try to pass you. On the flipside I'm able to go out my front door and if I want stay the hell away from the roads as there's forest trails, fire roads, single tracks all around me (recently did a 44km/630m ascent loop from my front door avoiding all the main roads)and the Cairngorm Mountains…. I own an E-MTB for "big days out" up in the mountains( I don't like walking a bike for a hobby) but maybe it's just time to retire the road bike and buy a "gravel" one for my fitness training at the lower levels….
I am pretty new to mountain biking but gravel bikes make perfect sense. I drive forest roads all the time to explore into the mountains and see the views. Gravel bikes are super efficient and fun ways to explore these forest and other dirt roads. I don’t understand the hate on gravel bikes
BS sorry
Okay u asked for comments. How can someone spread so many questionable facts about Gravelbikes…. coming from road racing and being a cyclist for my entire life i clearly say .. Gravel Bikes HAVE their purpose! And i am glad they were invented! And as they differ from road racers and also cyclo crossers in geometry, regarding comfort and endurance ability they are absolutely different! Wanna ride fast on-road but have the chance to switch off-road when it gets to busy on the streets? As u said! Get a gravelbike! Wanna ride offroad but fast instead of slow and upright like on a mtb? Get a gravelbike! Want to travel far with a sportive bike over yet uncertain surface, but have a quick rolling bike that covers all needs when needed? Get a gravel bike. Want to have a sportive bike for long endurance rides with much comfort in tire width and geo? Get a grvlbike! There is so much purpose for a gravelbike that a roadracer, Mtb or cyclocrosser simply can't deliver due to their different geometry and part usage limitation. A cc is shorter built, absolutely nervous due to resulting much more front load and u won't make long stretched rides on it. Cause It is ONLY made for 1h races on full throttle. U can try travel with it, but u won't like it. Riding a mtb is just slow and exhausting. Wind catcher. No fast gears when u wanna use speed. A road racer can't take big tires to give comfort nor has it a real comfortable endurance geometry. It is sitting on a pike. Short steering tube etc.
So, i have undeniable arguments for Gravelbikes. I have somehow always wanted one, although it wasn't even out on the market. Cause of the issues i had using the existing bike types for the reasons written above. A mtb can't give you speed. It can't give u the sportive stance. A roadbike can't give you offroad abilities and the slim hard tires suck on every edge u take. So……. what bike do you recommend to cover this gap? And pls don't say.. a gravel bike isn't fast on tarmac. That's absolutely bs! Is going 40 km/h on a flat road slow? Come and ride with me on tarmac. I will show u speed. And many others much faster than me, will also. There's something called air pressure and tire choice. And for sure.. leg power or watts. Seriously.. Nothing is so versatile. I love my gb and being able to avoid traffic stress, as u say, isn't the only pro argument!
Period.
For me gravel bikes are the best all around bikes you can have. Works great for the city, good offroad, good on road. I can go to work, go for an adventure, climb, etc. Its just fun for me, i love it.
funny reason why you sold road bikes
Dude realized that he was bashing gravel bikes, because he didn't know earlier what people used them for. Brilliant.
This bike was really easy to assemble https://www.youtube.com/post/UgkxMesz3KOGEmwmvyKQfLfrRSUXLFzfVHZA and required very few adjustments out of the box. The wheels did not require any truing/adjustments. The frame had some small scratches, but nothing major.I did replace the seat though – the seat it came with was very uncomfortable. The tires need to be re-inflated every 4-5 days, but this appears to be quite common for the narrow 700×25 tires.Overall, in my opinion, this bike looks and rides like a much more expensive bike.
Shoving them down your throat? Just don't buy it. Easy, peasy. Buy what you want and leave the rest at the shop.
In a world filled with motorists, distracted drivers, drunk drivers, and a slap on the wrist for maiming or killing cyclists…can you imagine what riding a motorcycle felt like 40 or 50 years ago? It was open season on us with very few penalties. A moving vehicle will always be the most dangerous thing you encounter if you leave home. Cycling is dangerous, and I accept the danger, even on back roads
Thanks, I was considering a gravel bike…this convinced me not to.
Mountain bikes with bmx tires are great in the city, I like sitting upright and having suspension.
1:22 indeed, it’s slow to be a road bike and it’s not much capable as an offroader. So yes, the worst of both molded into one
Those are all good points but I see it a little differently. A true road bike is simply not practical at all. So having pushed very impractical bikes which are, not coincidentally, very expensive, the industry turns around and says oops, here's something you can actually ride in your neighborhood since you're unlikely to be riding in the Tour de France anytime soon.
It's really funny how all these cycling guys whine about "marketing tricks to make us buy more bikes" while already owning a ton of bikes each worth thousands of dollars. Meanwhile a gravel bike is the perfect introduction for someone new to cycling who wants to be able to dip their toes in the water and not feel limited by their first bike. How can you even feel pressured to buy a "do it all bike" when you already have all the other flavors of bikes ?
Thinking of picking up an Aspero Apex 1 myself. How has your long-term experience been with the Apex 1x drivetrain? I know the internet is quick to bash it as the entry-level groupset. I'm not particularly bothered by the perception, but care more about how it's held up in practical use (quality, durability, riding limitations, etc.).
I have 3 bikes mt bike, road bike, & a gravel bike and enjoy being able to ride pretty much anywhere on my gravel bike front really good tarmac to chunky gravel kinda jack of all trades
I bought a Trek Checkpoint gravel bike for commuting and pavement/trail riding. Normally I'd have bought a straight road bike but here in Minnesota the roads and trails are pretty rough (potholes, cracks, rutts).
So my gravel bike is basically just a really rugged road bike, and that's how I use it. As a plus, I can take it off road when I need to and I don't have to worry about beating the hell out of my tires on gravel too much.
Sure it's not as potentially fast as a road bike, but it has served me very well thus far!
Gravel bikes are perfect for long bike road trips and carrying bags on them.
I guess they're not so worthless after all? Lol.
I thought I'd never buy a flat bar endurance hydraulic disc brake road bike, but I bought one anyway
This mutant
Do the frames on gravel bikes have any extra protection against wear, damage, and abrasion by the dust, sand, and gravel kicked up by the tires that slams against the frame while riding? If not, it seems to me they are just road bikes with slightly different geometry and wider tires.
I’m still on the fence on the aspero
I feel safer riding on sidewalks. Mountain bike can go on grass going around pedestrians on sidewalks.
Why do cyklist get hit when riding on roads, its not a big problem in other countries. In sweden you can cykle thrue sweden and back, no problem, not like in usa
So looks like gravel bikes aren’t worthless. Who knew
Weird hill to die on tbh. Your reasons are entirely subjective and I don't understand why you would think people appreciate watching a grown adult rant about things they don't like.
This was the first video I've seen from your channel, I shant be back. Cheerio.
Gravel bikes comes like a compact SUV car in the world of biking, it falls under the category of a Honda CRV or RAV4 in cycling. People love them and it’s getting popular day by day. No one needs a sports car or 4×4 for daily use, I would say it’s a compact bike for daily riding
Hating the gravel bike for ridiculous reasons>
in need to ride gravel roads>
tries gravel bike>
likes it>LMAO.
just get out ride and have fun, who gives 2 shits about what you are riding as long as you enjoy it!
This guy has never heard of a hybrid bike before
As a gravel rider I feel this video boring and useless
Exactly why I bought an Aspero last week.
The gravel bike is the best most versatile bike. OK it's not the best at a bike designed specifically for one type of riding but that's the major problem with most bikes, ever needed to use your full sus mountain bike on the road?? It's bloody awful. Ever needed to ride slightly off road on your road bike? It's bloody awful.
You miss the important part and that is that the MTB went from 2x or 3x front cassette, so they are now really slow! If you do not do downhill or cross country, for most city users, Gravel is king! It has 2x cassette and it will go much faster than the new MTB! Plus you can go off tarmac! While the road bike is really vulnerable! You must always be so patient with it on curbs! You must watch the road for imperfections…
Reasonable reasoning (😬) but a lot of folks (drunk) can snd do drive secondary roads to not get caught. I have had more near misses on gravel roads over the last 3 yrs than 2 decades of road riding. While I don’t dispute roads are more dsngerous than ever, so are secondary gravel farm roads with more cars out there and available GPS. Sadky. All IMHO of course. ✌🏻
I think you have hit the nail on the proverbial head! For you, and your living situation/lifestyle the gravel bike makes perfect sense.
The problem and reason I think gravel bikes are a ripoff is that probably the minority of riders have your riding conditions. I live in the greater Los Angeles area, and here all I see are gravel bikes on fresh tarmac… so it's become super easy to see who the tools are who have bought into the marketing hype and will probably never or seldom put a tire on dirt.
sry to hear about the hits in the roads near you. As of recently I found my dream bike, the Canyon Roadlite 6 (7 too). More than a gravel bike, my dream bike was one that mixes the nimbleness of a road bike and the easy gears of a MTB on a 1X drivetrain. The Roadlite 6 is the perfect bike for me in that sense, since it has a 1X (1×12) drivetrain, with a 46T chainring and a 10-51T cassette. This means that it is faster than my 2X (48-34T 11-34T) Decathlon road bike (46-10T of the Roadlite 6 vs 48-11T of my road bike) and with the easy gears of my a 3X MTB (22-30-40T 11-34T), 'cos I live in a very hilly region and my MTB's middle chainring (30T) along with the largest sprocket (34T) makes climbing possible in most hills here (some are very tough), so 30-34T of my MTB vs 46-51T of my Roadlite 6 is a very similar ratio and it's a bike that's going to work well anywhere, specially with wide tyres (so I could use it on gravel too)
The often bad state of the bikeways in our town makes gravel bikes the best option as you have to use those ways instead of the streets when one is available ~
Worthless? What you on about! There the most versatile bike you can buy! I'd rather a gravel bike over a road bike anyday! Its a go anywhere adventure bike! This blokes talking rubbish.
Ive got a gravel bike and ive got a spare set of wheels for road use! Best if both worlds! This guys deluded. Lol
Weird
I totally agree that gravel bikes are pointless for road cycling. But they are fun only if i’m not riding on tarmac at all.