Originally Posted by dwmckee

This is not true at all. It just depends on the gravel bike (also called allroad bikes) you buy. Many have longer weelbases and are comfortable riding but 'stable' and some call that sluggish. Some have short wheelbaases like the Open or the 3T and are extremely sporty but still have wide but very fast tires. Both types are available and you should test ride a few to see the differences. The Open and 3T with the right tires are very competitive with road bikes and can be built to be well under 16 pounds if you choose to go that way, and they are lightning fast at the same time and can blow the doors off of a road bike (if road bikes had doors at least!). You just have to pick the right model.