tammyinvirginia

I am torn which type of bike to get. I currently have a Townie 7D and I ride anywhere from 8-20 miles at least 3-4 times per week on it (leisurely). I also have a Giant Rove 2 hybrid bike - I've rarely rode this bike for a few reasons, 1) the sizing of the bike it big, I've never been very comfortable on it
2) it's a bit on the heavier side for me to put on the bike rack
but mostly because #1 - it's just not comfortable at all.

My husband and son are into road cycling and racing. We go to many places that have long, paved trails. Although I can ride my Townie forever on those paths, I'd like something to go faster and further distances. I also do a bit of light trail riding at our local state parks. They have very slight inclines, and are mostly just dirt trails with a few random tree roots, nothing major. I really would like a bike that can be for both. Do you recommend a gravel bike? A cyclocross bike? or something different all together? I would say I ride on the road about as equally as much as I do on these hard packed dirt paths. I also want to consider doing some of the shorter races/rides offered at the events my husband and son race at. Like 20-40 mile rides.

kevindsingleton 

What, do you think, is the difference between a CX bike and a gravel bike? I can't tell them apart, if it's not on the label.


Find one that fits, which you seem to understand, very well, already, with a cool frame design and paint job, and whatever you like for racks and bottle cages, buy it, and go ride it.

If you stumble into a cyclocross race with your gravel bike, nobody is gonna notice. If you ride onto some gravel with your cyclocross bike ...well, you know.

pickettt

Marketing ploy, IMO.

RockiesDad

Let's confuse things a bit more and say these are all "adventure" bikes! I would venture to say that these bikes can be ridden on nice road surfaces and also "off road" where the the roads get a bit more bumpy for the average person due to being off the blacktop. These are roads that a vehicle can still drive on but have to go more slowly. Sounds like what the OP wants to do.

Options are limitless and will depend on what you specifically want. But for "off road" riding wider tires are the key. How wide is wide? Everyone will have an opinion...

fietsbob

Unless you are racing cyclocross*, you are just looking for a drop bar bike with a wider tire capacity..

go on the local gravel club outings or commute with it..

* the races are laps of a mile, or so, for 45 minutes + 1 lap., jumping barriers, and carrying the bike and running has been required in course designs..





....

markjenn

I'm sure there are bigger differences between individual models, but the main thing that seems to differentiate today's CX bike vs. gravel/adventure bikes is that the CX bike is tilted towards CX racing, so likely will have narrower gearing, quicker handling, be a little lighter/less-rugged, and have fewer utility features (e.g., eyelets for racks/fenders). But there are going to be CX bikes that are completely setup for hard-core racing and others that are better all-arounders that could readily be used for non-race general riding.

My advice is to focus less on the classification of the bike (which is primarily driven by what the mfg perceives will sell more bikes today) and more on the specific features you want. For example, if you want an all-around bike for lots of different riding on road/trails, then you probably want something with a nice wide-range of gears (e.g., a 50/34 front and 11-36 rear) rather than what typically comes on a race-oriented CX bike (e.g., 46/36 front and 11-28 rear). All in all, I suspect you'll find the bikes that fit your needs best in today's "gravel bike" category. Or to be more specific, I think you'd be happier, to just pull two arbitrary examples from one mfg, with a Specialized Diverge vs. a Specialized Crux.

- Mark

Lazyass

CX bikes have a different geometry than gravel bikes. That's the biggest difference and it's not a marketing ploy. CX's have a high bottom bracket to clear obstacles, so your center of gravity is higher. Gravel bikes have a low bottom bracket, some are seriously low. Unless you're planning on having to clear obstacles I'd get a gravel bike, they'll handle better.

pickettt

I know all of this, I just don't think a whole other bike needed to be created. There's just so much stuff on the market now. How about another bike between a gravel bike and a 'cross bike? Or one more between a road bike and a gravel bike? Or maybe something in between a 27.5 and a 29er. I just wonder where it'll stop.

Lazyass

Well just like there are CX races there are now gravel races that require a specific type of bike. Gravel racing is getting big. A low center of gravity makes the bike more stable and controllable on gravel.

Pendergast

Dave Moulton on bottom bracket height/drop:

https://davesbikeblog.squarespace.com/blog/2007/2/21/bottom-bracket-height.html

I tend to agree with him. Other geometry factors make much more difference than bottom bracket numbers on how a bike handles.

kevindsingleton 

I don't see that much difference in bottom bracket position.

fietsbob

Get data , not pictures.. BB Drop is less .... when you Race Cross , because, for example, courses include riding across off camber slopes ,
that digging a pedal into the up hill slope and crashing.. needs to be avoided.

BITD the Pedals had toeclips the skill is jumping on and flipping both pedals at the same time and accelerating ASAP..

Races are won by little things, that keep your momentum fast.




...

Leebo

Look at a gravel /adventure bike. One that fits you. Running fenders and a rack? Mounts for that? Bottle mounts? How big of a tire do wish to run? 40 mm or so? Start there, do some demos.

kevindsingleton 

You're right about the "little things". According to the official specs (comparing 52 cm bikes), the actual difference in BB drop and height is a staggering ...get this: 14 mm. That's right! Half an inch! Bring on those off-camber slopes!

redlude97

half an inch difference is huge when you have to pedal through off camber turns and bunny hop obstacles

FrozenK

In general, a cyclocross bike will have more aggressive (racey) geometry than a bike marketed as a gravel bike. Steeper angles, lower head tube, longer reach, etc... Cyclocross bikes also tend to have less provisions for mounting fenders and racks. But it seems like most come with two watter bottle mounts these days. Cross bikes also tend to have a wide open front triangle to allow/ease shouldering (and some will have a shaped top tube for this as well)

Gravel bikes tend to have more tire clearance and a more "endurance" oriented geometry as well as provisions for fenders and racks.

For what the OP wants, I think a gravel bike may be a better fit than a cyclocross bike. If nothing else because it will allow for bigger tires which are more comfortable.

I would also suggest considering a hardtail mountain bike. It will likely have a riding position more similar to what the OP is used to on the townie. And should also be more comfortable on unpaved trails.

SethAZ 

Yeah, gravel bike sounds like the ticket here. With narrower tires on it it's just a slightly heavier (due to wider fork etc.) road bike. With the 33mm knobbies and maybe some different pedals or whatever it's a credible CX bike. With the wider gravel tires it's a gravel bike. Sounds like shiznit to me. Actually, I think my R260 (when it finally arrives) will be pretty much this.

u235

If you compare any Gravel and CX bikes side by side, you'll see a huge gray area where some of those things people mentioned as general rules for each are backwards or are equal.
Don't get caught up on the Gravel or CX or Adventure marketing name. Maybe use it for a soft starting point.

I'd pay attention to the fit, comfort and the max tire size you may want and go from there. You may like the comfort of a certain CX bike and actually find the "relaxed geometry" of a specific gravel bike not relaxing at all.
If you want to add to the confusion, toss a touring bike into the mix...

Retro Grouch 

Was thinking about that too. I'm thinking it's the opposite of your Townie. The Townie puts it's saddle closer to the ground and the pedals farther forward to provide leg extension. A CX bike will raise the pedals higher off the ground than other bikes and in turn raise the saddle to provide leg extension. I'm thinking with your Townie experience you probably won't like a CX bike test ride very much. You'll probably feel like you are perched too high. The simple act of putting a foot down at stops may feel like an adventure too.

gregf83 

True, but do you really believe lowering your center of gravity by 14mm is going to make a difference in a gravel race?

fietsbob

Cross is a lap race. around a course designed to force a dismount each lap, and the race is a fixed length of time.

maddog34

Bunny Hopping lifts both wheels clear of the obstacle(WE HOPE!!! ;-)... and considering what pedaling does to rear wheel grip when traversing a wet, muddy, off camber course section... yah, i don't pedal across steep off cambers that are steep enough to suck a pedal... unless i tilt the bike to the down side...

bcpriess

I think most of the CX bikes I looked at before I got a gravel/touring bike tended to max out at about 36c tires. Which is fine for most purposes, but if you want the option to go larger (such as 50c or so), CX won't cut it, usually - unless that's changed the past year or so.

sfh

You just need to tell your bike shop what kind of riding you want to do. If the salesperson responds with, "You mean a gravel grinder?" then just repeat the type of riding you want to do. Test ride a bike. Do that a few times and find one you want. Don't let the bike shop try to pin you down to "gravel", "adventure", "all-road", "any-road", "cyclocross". Just stick to the riding you want to do. A good bike shop will find the right bike for you.

Personally, I messed this up a few years ago and asked for a "cyclocross" bike. At the time, I thought that meant "road bike that can handle something rougher than tarmac". But the LBS thought it meant "I want to race cyclocross". So just stay with the descriptions instead of labels. And have fun trying some bikes.

Hiro11

IMO, there was originally some difference between CX and gravel bikes. As others have said above, CX bikes originally had very racy geometry, high BBs, room for 33mm tires only and cross-specific gearing (46-36 with a narrow-band cassette). Then manufacturers wised up to the fact that lots of people were using CX bikes for everyday riding and started making CX bikes less CX-specific with slacker angles, longer chainstays, lower BBs and room for bigger tires. More recently brands have started making endurance road bikes that have wider tire clearance and disc brakes, "fast touring bikes" with rack mounts and "adventure bikes" that combine features from a variety of genres. So now, the label that's on a bike is largely meaningless. All that matters is the geometry and features of the bike. This is compounded by the "niche-ification" of bike brands where everyone is making bikes that are designed for a hyper specific markets.