What is an adventure bike?

Ploughing through muddy terrain, slowing on a steep descent, or pulling up short of an obstacle – gravel riding calls for disc brakes – simple! At the lower end of the market, you’ll observe that bikes run mechanically operated brakes, whilst more expensive bikes are equipped with hydraulic disc brakes.

Mechanical, or cable operated, disc brakes don’t offer the best braking feel (modulation) but are much easier to repair road or trailside when compared to hydraulic brakes – ideal then if you’re on a multi-day adventure ride. As well as offering the best braking performance, hydraulic disc brakes usually require very little maintenance once set up correctly.

As road bikes continue to hold onto their double chainring gearing (2x) – gravel bikes have jumped into 1x with both feet. A 1x drivetrain consists of one single chainring up front and 10,11 or 12 sprockets on the cassette at the back. A typical cassette pattern for a gravel bike is 11-42. That largest cog will quickly become your best friend if you intend to tackle steep off-road ascents on a gravel/adventure bike. Think you’ll be spending more time on hardpacked surfaces where riding speeds are higher? A bike with a tighter cassette ratio, say 11-32 and maybe a 2x chainset up front would suit you better.

Most gravel bike gearing uses a mechanical process to initiate a gear shift. Do you have deep pockets? As in mountain biking and road riding, electronic gear shifting is becoming more ubiquitous. Shimano’s Di2 and SRAM’s AXS groupsets promise reliable, easy gear shifting along with the possibility of multiple shift buttons, easy calibration and customised integration with other bike components.

Browse our selection of gravel and adventure bikes, including Boardman adventure bikes, and you might see that some models include a flared handlebar. Flared refers to the way the curve of the ‘bar moves outward, as well as around in that inverted C shape. Flared bars help to handle rough terrain whilst also allowing for easier placement of a handlebar bag – a bag perfect for single or multi-day bikepacking adventures.

Gravel and Adventure bikes roll on standard 700c road wheels that you find on most road bikes and 650b (27.5”) wheels you will find on mountain bikes. You can also find gravel bikes with 29” wheels.

As a rule of thumb, if you’re wanting to spend more time off-road than on it, go for a bike with 650b wheels. If tarmac is more to your taste, then we recommend you choose a bike with 700c wheels.

Some gravel bikes are compatible with both wheel sizes, which means you have the option to swap wheels as often as you like.

The majority of gravel bikes use thru axles. Stronger and less prone to flex over rough terrain than quick-release skewers, they’re also less likely to accidentally come loose whilst riding. A rough standard has been set, with most models using 12x142 rear and 15x100 front. The first number refers to the diameter of the axle with the second denoting the dropout width. If upgrading components in future is important to you, do take note of a bike's axle size.

To keep your riding (and tyre) options as open as possible it’s a good idea to find out each gravel bike’s maximum tyre clearance before buying. It’s easy enough to pop a pair of 28mm or 30mm road tyres on if the tarmac is calling, but if a big adventure ride calls for 42mm tyres and your bike can only take 37mm you’re going to be snookered! Be aware that sometimes the measurements provided on the tyre might have a margin of error.

Very much in vogue right now, a tubeless setup promises an increase in puncture protection - thanks to the sealant, more squish - thanks to an ability to run lower air pressures as well as a faster ride – thanks to lower rolling resistance. If running tubeless is important to you, be sure to choose a gravel bike with tubeless-compatible wheels and tyres.

Gravel and adventure bikes come in a variety of frame designs, with each manufacturer having their own preferences. Some gravel bikes look very similar to road bikes and cyclocross bikes whereas others look a lot like a mountain bike that’s been fitted with a set of road handlebars.

They are designed to be light and manoeuvrable, which makes riding on and off-road an awful lot of fun. The frame shape (geometry) will differ from a traditional road bike, with a sloping top tube inspiring more confidence when riding on technical tracks and uneven surfaces.

A gravel bike with suspension? Are you sure? Yes! Suspension is one of several attributes used to distinguish certain gravel bikes from one another. Most designs involve the use of shock-absorbing materials or elastomers in the frame to soak up the bumps, with more extreme models running a front suspension fork, albeit with less travel than a traditional mountain bike. If you’re going to spend more time off-road than on, or if you’ve got a penchant for exploring the edge of grip, then a gravel bike with an element of suspension will be for you.

Dropper post on a gravel bike? Again – are you sure? Yes, yes we are! As off-road descents get steeper and more technical, the more a rider needs to shift their weight over the rear wheel and lower to the ground. A dropper post scoots the saddle out of the way enabling the rider to tackle the descent with confidence. Whilst they’re not a common feature of gravel bikes today, we can certainly see them becoming more popular in future!

ravel and adventure bikes are the perfect partners for bikepacking trips. If you’re buying something to go on this kind of trip it’s a good idea to take stock of your chosen model’s frame mounts. Three-bottle cage mounts are perhaps the bare minimum for water-carrying requirements. And if you’re going to be using an extra-large frame bag which covers the traditional bottle cages, look for a bike whose forks include mounts too!