Originally Posted by
bjn74
So I ended up going for the Trek Domane SL5! Super happy with it. Yes it can 'only' fit 38mm tires but some of the gravel bikes I was testing came with 38s and I was happy with that. If I feel as though I need something more dirt orientated I can get another bike! The color really changes in different light - love it!
That is so cool! You will be surprised at how fast you improve. Especially with a bike like that to inspire you. Get a Strava account and watch your increase in performance! I find that in the summer, I'm happy on 32mm tires on gravel - in the winter and spring I want more. But really, the biggest difference is what tire pressure the tires are comfortable at. You can reliably go 10-15psi lower going from 32 to 40mm.
FYI, ISO standards are 6mm clearance, so you can always go a little fatter if you want (if you are not worried about mud or riding on a broke spoke with a warped wheel).