8 Best Gravel Bikes Under $2000 (October 2026) Complete Guide

The best gravel bikes under $2,000 in 2026 are the easiest bike purchase most riders will ever make, because the performance-per-dollar curve bends hard right around this figure. Below roughly 1,300 dollars you are choosing between mechanical disc brakes and a cheap wheelset. Between 1,500 and 2,000 dollars you reliably get hydraulic discs, wide-range gearing, a real gravel groupset and a modern frame. Above that, extra money mostly buys lower weight and one more gear.

That is why every bike on this list is a complete bicycle, not a frameset, a wheelset or a pair of gravel tires sold into a search for a bike. We left out forks, bags, shoes and commuter hybrids that Amazon mixes into the same results page. What remains is eight genuinely rideable bikes, and between them they cover every buyer persona: a first-time gravel rider, a commuter who wants one bike for winter, a bikepacker, and a rider who wants the fastest possible bike for the money.

We built this roundup around owner feedback rather than brochure spec sheets, because at this budget the difference between a good bike and a frustrating one is rarely the headline component. It is whether the rear derailleur was indexed before the box shipped, whether the tires fitted the rims honestly, and whether the saddle will still be comfortable at hour three. Those are the details we checked on every one of these eight.

One honest note before we start. The big-brand names you see on page one of most search results, the Canyon Grizl, the Trek Checkpoint, the Salsa Journeyer, the Kona Rove, the Marin Gestalt, are sold exclusively through bike retailers and have no listing here. So this list is the best of what is actually available in this bracket, not a mirror of the European roundups. If you want the broader brand context first, our general gravel bike guide covers the whole market.

Our Top 3 Gravel Bike Picks (October 2026)

All 8 Bikes at a Glance in 2026

The table below is the fastest way to narrow this list down. Scan the drivetrain column first, because it changes the bike’s character more than any other single spec.

1. Tommaso Sentiero Sport: The Best All-Rounder With the Most Owner History

The Sentiero is the bike we kept coming back to while building this list, and the reason is owner history rather than any single spec. Sixty-nine ratings is more than double what any carbon bike in this roundup has accumulated, which means the recurring problems are known rather than mysterious. That transparency is worth more than a better spec sheet when you are buying your first bike and cannot test it before the box arrives.

What you get is a full Shimano drivetrain, 24 speeds, Acera Rapid Fire shifters, on a premium aluminium frame with flat handlebars. Owners repeatedly describe the ride as smooth and quiet across both pavement and trails, and several mention being under an hour from box to ride. The lifetime frame warranty replacement promise is unusual at this price, and it is the strongest long-term protection in the group.

The honest weakness is comfort over distance. Multiple owners call the saddle the single part they would change first, and one describes fit as the recurring theme in their review. Sizing runs small, so riders near the taller end of a size need to size up or fit a shorter stem. A few bikes have also arrived with small assembly defects such as a warped rotor or stripped pedal threads.

That pattern is common enough that our advice is simple. Book a proper fit at a local shop before your first long ride, and treat the saddle as a first-month purchase rather than a lifetime one. Both cost very little and both fix the complaints that appear most often in the reviews.

Is the Tommaso Sentiero fast enough for long paved rides?

Yes, with a caveat about how you ride it rather than what it is. The 24-speed Shimano drivetrain gives you close enough steps that you will not be spinning on climbs or jogging on descents, which is the main reason to prefer a wider range over a road double.

The flat handlebars are the real trade-off for a rider who wants speed on tarmac. They give an upright position, excellent control at low speed and a much lower learning curve for a beginner. If you are used to drop bars and want an aero tuck for long road stretches, this is not the bike for you.

Who should skip the Tommaso Sentiero?

Skip it if your riding is mostly long-distance road with light gravel, because the flat-bar position will feel upright and tiring after a few hours. Two of the reviews also flag that it is not sized for heavier riders, with repeated inner tube failures reported around 230 pounds, so check the weight rating before you commit.

It is also not the bike for a rider who wants a rear derailleur clutch or tubeless-ready wheelsets, because neither is part of the spec. If quiet drivetrain noise on rough surfaces matters to you, spend the difference on a hydraulic bike further down this list.

2. Tommaso Siena Sport: The Cheapest Complete Bike Here Still Worth Buying

The Siena is the answer for anyone whose budget is genuinely tight and who still wants a real gravel bike rather than a stripped-down road bike with fat tires. Sixty-one percent of its ratings are five-star, and the most common phrase in the reviews is value. Owners compare it directly to entry-tier name-brand gravel bikes and conclude it wins on price while holding up well.

The mechanical part of the spec is honest for the money. A Shimano Tourney 3×7 drivetrain gives 21 speeds, Avid BB5 mechanical disc brakes stop you reliably in the wet, and the 700x40c tires on TC-20D 28-spoke rims handle gravel, dirt and loose surfaces without drama. It also arrives nearly assembled, with only the handlebar, front wheel and saddle left to fit.

There are three real catches. The front derailleur frequently needs adjusting before the bike will shift cleanly, which is a five-minute job at any shop. The 40c tires are wider than the ETRTO recommendation for the narrow supplied rims, and some riders notice that in hard cornering. The 130mm rear dropouts are an old standard, so a modern wide wheelset will not fit later.

Cosmetic QC is also mixed, with chipped paint on spokes and fasteners reported by a few buyers. None of that affects how the bike rides, but expect to spend an afternoon on small adjustments rather than an evening.

How much fitting does the Tommaso Siena need?

Less than you would expect. Owners say the only three jobs are the handlebar, the front wheel and the saddle, and that the bike was quiet and creak-free once those were done. The one adjustment you should budget time for is the front derailleur, which several reviewers had to tune immediately.

Mechanical disc brakes on the Avid BB5 also need a bedding-in period before they feel their best. A few firm stops in a safe area, at low speed, will settle them and remove the initial sponginess.

Is the narrow rim a reason to pass on this bike?

Only if you plan to run fast descents at speed on loose surfaces. The narrow rim makes the 40c tire feel a little nervous in hard cornering, which a few owners noticed, and it will not take a wider tire later. For gravel roads, towpaths and rail trails, which is what most buyers use it for, the grip is more than adequate.

It also caps your upgrade path. If you think you will want 45mm-plus tires within a year, pick a bike with modern clearance instead. The Siena is a first bike, not a bike you will grow into.

3. SAVADECK GRX400 Carbon: Best Value for a Fast Gravel Setup

This is the bike we would point a rider toward if their gravel is mostly hardpack and road with the occasional rough stretch. The GRX400 is a proper gravel groupset with drop-bar shifters, and pairing it with RX400 hydraulic disc brakes gives you the one-touch braking feel that mechanical discs simply cannot match, particularly in the wet.

The claimed 10.4 kg weight is the number owners actually confirm, which is rare. A full T800 carbon frame and fork in the low-twenties-pounds range at this money changes how the bike feels on long rides, and the tapered head tube adds real torsional rigidity when you are out of the saddle on loose surfaces.

Setup is not quite turnkey. The most common complaint, appearing in a large share of reviews, is that the rear derailleur needs indexing after unpacking, and one owner had an over-shift tangle the chain. Nobody is describing a mechanical fault, so plan a short adjustment session before your first ride rather than expecting a dealer-finished bike.

Two smaller notes. The white colorway reads closer to off-white in person than the listing photos suggest. And the packaging is thin cardboard, so if the box arrives damaged, photograph the frame before you assemble anything.

Why does the drop-bar position matter on this bike?

It changes the aerodynamics and the control. Drop bars give you three hand positions instead of one, which is what makes a long road-with-gravel day bearable, and the GRX400 levers are the right shape for that. The tradeoff is a steeper learning curve than the flat-bar bikes earlier in this list.

If you are replacing a road bike or a cyclocross bike, the drop bars will feel familiar immediately. If this is genuinely your first bike, the position is steeper but very manageable, and the payoff over a multi-hour day is significant.

Is 20-speed enough gearing range for steep gravel?

For most riders on most terrain, yes. The 2×10 GRX400 setup gives a tighter gear spacing than a road double without the huge gaps a 1x system leaves at one end. On sustained, loose, very steep climbs you will work harder than you would on a 1×12, and for that specific case a wider-range build is a better tool.

Check the cassette range on the specific size you order before you commit, because it varies. If you ride mountain grades regularly, look further down this list at the 12-speed build.

4. SAVADECK U6000 Carbon: The Easiest Bike in This List to Start Riding

Every single review on this bike is five stars, and the reason is consistent across all of them: it arrives ready to ride. Owners report needing nothing more than a seat height adjustment, and some needed no adjustment at all. For a first-time buyer who is nervous about the first assembly, that is worth more than an extra gear.

The build underneath is straightforward and good. A T800 carbon frame and fork at 10.4 kg, the Shimano U6000 11-speed drivetrain with an LG400 cassette, and hydraulic disc brakes with fully internal cable routing. Internal routing is a genuine long-term advantage on a bike meant for mud and rain, because the cables are not exposed to wash.

The 5.0 average comes with a small sample, and 27 reviews does not tell you what a bike does after three years. Read it as evidence that the setup quality is consistently good right now, not as proof of long-term durability. Vendors do resolve warranty issues at no cost, which is a genuine positive when the samples are this small.

Two specific things to check on delivery. Brake pads sometimes arrive wrong for carbon rims and need replacing, and the seat tube may need cutting depending on the frame size. Both are quick, and the vendor is proactive about sizing questions if you message them before ordering.

Is a 5.0 rating enough evidence to trust this bike?

It is enough evidence to trust the setup, and not enough to trust the long-term picture. A perfect score with no negative reviews almost always means a small sample, and small samples flatter new products. Look at what the buyers mention rather than the number: they describe light weight, correct setup on arrival and responsive vendor support.

What nobody has tested yet is paint fade, bearing wear and drivetrain wear over thousands of miles. If buying new matters more to you than buying proven, this bike rewards that choice. If you want a decade of data, pick something with a deeper review history.

Can this bike handle singletrack and rough trails?

Not as its intended use. Owners are clear that it is built for road and gravel, and that it is best kept off rough mountain trails. The 700x40c tires and rigid frame will tolerate the occasional rough fire road, but this is not a bike to take down technical doubletrack.

For a rider whose gravel is genuinely smooth, this is exactly the right tool and you will enjoy the light weight every ride. For a rider heading onto loose, technical singletrack, look at a bike with wider tires and a suspension fork instead.

5. KABON Model E Sora: Full Carbon Build at the Lightest Weight in the Group

The Model E is the spec-sheet value pick here. A full T800 carbon build, and we mean frame, fork, handlebar and seatpost, at a claimed 8.7 kg complete weight is the kind of combination that usually costs several times this. The carbon cockpit and seatpost also dampen vibration on rough surfaces, which is a real ride-quality gain on gravel rather than a spec-sheet flourish.

The Shimano Sora R3000 2×9 drivetrain is a road-leaning gravel setup, and the 700x40c high-traction tires hold grip on both pavement and loose gravel. Owners highlight that the bike ships nearly fully pre-assembled with pedals and a tool kit included, and the three-year frame warranty is the second longest in this roundup.

Eighteen speeds is the narrowest range on this list, and that is the compromise to understand before ordering. It is fine on rolling gravel and moderate climbs, and it will leave you grinding on a steep loose pitch. If your riding has real elevation, a wider cassette is worth stretching for.

The mechanical disc brakes are the other half of the trade. They will stop you, they are not the least progressive feel in the rain, and owners do not complain about them. But if you have ridden hydraulics before, the difference is immediate.

What does an 8.7 kg complete weight actually change on the road?

It is roughly four to six pounds lighter than the other bikes in this roundup, and on a long ride that difference shows up in your legs rather than on a scale. Lighter bikes also respond more sharply when you stand up out of the saddle on loose climbs, which is where the carbon frame’s stiffness and low mass combine.

The vibration damping from the carbon bar and seatpost matters just as much on rough gravel. Hard alloy components transmit buzz straight into your hands and lower back over a long day, and these do not.

How do I know this frame will fit me?

Confirm it before ordering. Fourteen frame options is a good spread, but the listings run small in some cases, and fit is the single biggest cause of a bad first bike. The listed size here is 53cm, and the rating spread, 57 percent five-star with the remainder at three or four stars, suggests fit is the issue behind most of the moderate reviews.

Ask for your inseam measurement before you buy and compare it to the size chart, and if you are near a size boundary, size up and fit a shorter stem rather than the other way around.

6. SAVADECK GRX610 12-Speed: The Widest Gearing in the Group

If steep, loose climbing is your regular test, gearing is the spec that matters, and this is the only bike here that gives it to you. The Shimano GRX610 shifters with an RX822 rear derailleur and a 12-speed M6100 cassette deliver a range that a 2×10 or 2×11 road drivetrain cannot reach, while the clutch on the rear derailleur keeps the chain quiet over rough surfaces.

The spec sheet is genuinely unusual at this money. You get carbon rims as well as the carbon frame and fork, GRX410 hydraulic disc brakes with internal routing, and 45-spoke wheels that owners say were trued near-perfectly out of the box. Reviewers describe the bike tracking straight from the first ride and shifting flawlessly up and down the cassette.

The weakness is not the bike, it is the documentation. Assembly instructions are not included, which matters because fitting the stem is the one step a first-time owner will not know how to do unaided. And with only 8 ratings behind it, there is very little long-term owner history to lean on when a component needs attention.

Small cosmetic reports exist too, including paint chips at the fork recess and a seat tube that was too long to insert fully without cutting. Neither is a dealbreaker, and the frame arrived undamaged for the owners who reported on packaging.

Is 1x gearing easier for a beginner than 2x?

Easier in one way and harder in another. There is no front derailleur to adjust, no chain rub across a small ring, and nothing to go wrong in rough gravel. What you give up is gear spacing in the middle of the range, and on a road-heavy bike with a big cassette you can feel the gaps on a long climb.

For a rider whose gravel is steep and loose, a wide 1x cassette is the better tool. For a rider who spends most of the day on pavement and climbs smooth fire roads, the tighter spacing of a 2x system is more pleasant. Match the drivetrain to your terrain rather than to a trend.

Is carbon rims worth the extra complexity?

They are lighter and stiffer, and on a bike that is already light the effect is smaller than the spec sheet implies. The real benefit is acceleration out of slow corners on loose surfaces. The cost is that carbon rims are less forgiving of abuse and harder to true than alloy, so they suit a rider who is careful rather than one who crashes.

If you ride rough trails regularly, alloy rims with a wider tire are a more sensible use of the same money. If you ride well-maintained gravel and road, the carbon rims here are a genuine bonus.

7. KABON 105 R7000: The Longest Warranty in the Roundup

The 105 R7000 is the best groupset in this entire roundup, and the fact that it appears at all at this money is the reason this bike is on the list. Full carbon frame, fork, handlebar and seatpost, a claimed 8.7 kg weight, and a five-year frame warranty, the longest of any bike here.

Internal cable routing is specified and worth noting for a bike meant to be ridden in bad weather. The cables sit inside the frame tubes, which protects them from rain and sun and cuts the rust risk that eventually kills a mechanical or hydraulic brake line. The bike is rated for riders up to 150 kg, and it ships with pedals and a tool kit.

Four reviews, all five stars, means the rating tells you almost nothing. Treat it as evidence that the people who received the bike were happy, not as a track record. There is no long-term owner data here at all, and that is the real cost of buying a spec sheet this good from a young brand.

The two spec compromises are mechanical disc brakes and 40c tires. The brakes are the least attractive of the four mechanical setups in this roundup because the 105 drivetrain makes you expect refinement everywhere, and the tires are narrower than the 50mm-plus width many gravel riders assume they will get at this price.

Why do the mechanical brakes matter more on this bike than on others?

Because expectation sets the standard. On a bike with a basic drivetrain, mechanical discs are a normal part of a budget package. On a bike with Shimano 105 shifters and a five-year carbon frame, they read as an omission rather than a decision, and you will notice the firmer, more progressive lever feel that hydraulics give you.

If you have never ridden hydraulics, the difference will be smaller than it sounds. If you have, it will bother you. That is the whole calculation.

Is 40mm enough tire width for real gravel?

For smooth gravel roads, hardpack and rail trails, yes, and 40mm rolls faster than anything wider. You pay for that with less grip and less comfort on loose, rough surfaces. If your gravel is genuinely loose or you plan to ride in winter mud, budget for a pair of wider tires and check the frame clearance first.

Low tire pressure does more for comfort on this bike than any component swap would, and it costs nothing. If the tires are tubeless-ready, running them well below the printed maximum on rough ground changes the ride more than the frame material does.

8. KABON R8000 Zenium: The Fastest Drivetrain on the List

The R8000 Zenium is the spec king of this list, and the argument for it is straightforward. A Shimano R8000 2×11 22-speed drivetrain is the most advanced groupset here, fitted to a full T800 carbon frame, fork, handlebar and seatpost at a claimed 8.7 kg, with fully internal cable routing and Presta valves already fitted.

On a road-heavy ride, that combination is hard to argue with. Owners describe the carbon cockpit and seatpost dampening rough surfaces nicely, and the 700x40c high-traction tires holding grip on both rough terrain and tarmac. The paint finish is consistently described as the best-looking on the group.

The quality control is the weak point, and it is worth being blunt about. One owner spent over two hours on assembly dealing with spacers, handlebars and the seat. Another reported rim or tire wobble out of the box, which points to a loose spoke or a wheel built badly. Four reviews is a thin sample, so a single bad unit carries a lot of weight here.

The saddle is the other recurring irritation. It is widely disliked and hard to service, and a replacement needs a centre ventilation hole to fit the mount. Budget for a new saddle, and confirm the seat clamp fit before you ride away from the shop.

Is an R8000 groupset worth the setup risk?

It depends entirely on how comfortable you are with a bike shop. The shifting quality and refinement of R8000 are a genuine step up from anything else here, and for a rider who has road bike experience, the drivetrain alone can justify the bike. For a first-time owner, the assembly stories in the reviews are a real risk.

Have it built and checked by a shop rather than building it yourself. It is a modest cost against a bike at this specification, and it removes the fork retention and spacer issues that owners have reported.

Who is this bike genuinely wrong for?

Anyone who rides rough, loose terrain, because a rigid 40c-tire bike on a road-oriented groupset is built for speed rather than traction. It is also the wrong pick if you want hydraulic braking, and wrong if you want a large review base to lean on when something needs warranty service.

It is the right pick for a confident rider with a road background who wants the fastest possible bike for the money and plans to ride mostly on pavement with the occasional gravel shortcut home.

How to Choose a Gravel Bike Under 2,000 in 2026

Start with where you actually ride, because every spec decision below follows from that. A bike built for smooth gravel roads and one built for loose singletrack are not the same purchase, no matter how similar the spec sheets look.

Frame material matters less than you think

Aluminium and carbon frames behave far more similarly on gravel than the marketing suggests, because tire choice and pressure dominate ride quality on rough surfaces. Run 40mm tires at sensible pressure and the difference between an aluminium and a carbon frame shrinks to a matter of grams.

That said, the frames in this roundup skew heavily to carbon, and for a reason. Full carbon frames, forks, handlebars and seatposts at these weights are now available well under the 2,000-dollar ceiling, and carbon cockpit parts genuinely damp buzz on rough ground. That is a real advantage, not a spec-sheet one.

Tire clearance is the number to check first

Every bike here ships with 700x40c tires, which is the correct starting point for mixed-surface riding. What you want to know is the frame’s maximum clearance, because that determines whether you can go wider later for winter mud or looser ground.

Be skeptical of brand claims. Wider than the recommended rim width is a real stability concern, and several owners in this roundup noticed exactly that. Buy tires that match the rim width, not just the frame.

Hydraulic or mechanical disc brakes?

Hydraulic discs are the single biggest upgrade in this whole guide and the reason the top of this list is worth stretching for. One-finger braking, better modulation and far better wet-weather performance. If you are choosing between two bikes and only one has hydraulics, that is usually the right tiebreaker.

Mechanical discs are not unridable. Four of the eight bikes here use them, and the recurring complaint is simply that the lever feel is softer and requires more pressure. Riders who have never used hydraulics adapt quickly.

Should a beginner choose 1x or 2x gearing?

For a beginner on typical terrain, 2x is easier because the gear steps are smaller and you can find a comfortable gear at almost any speed. 1x removes the front derailleur entirely, which means no chain rub and no adjustment, and gives you a much wider range from a single ring.

Pick 1x if you ride steep loose climbs and value quiet drivetrains. Pick 2x if you spend most of your time on the road and want close gear spacing. The wide-range 1x build in this roundup is the better tool for the first case, and it is worth the setup effort.

Gearing math: work out your lowest gear first

Before you fall for a groupset name, work out the gear ratio you will need on your steepest regular climb. Divide the chainring size by the largest sprocket on the cassette, then compare that number across the bikes you are considering. A smaller number means an easier climbing gear.

For most riders, a ratio around one to one is the comfortable starting point for sustained climbs. Below that you are geared for very steep terrain. Riders coming from road bikes often find the road-style 2x gearing on several of these bikes harder than they expect.

Weight: what actually matters

Bikes in this roundup range from a claimed 8.7 kg to roughly 10.4 kg, which works out to somewhere around 19 to 23 pounds. Is that heavy for a gravel bike? No, not for the riding almost everyone does. The bikes built for racing sit well below that, and you will feel the difference if you are competing.

For commuting, bikepacking and weekend gravel, weight is the least important spec on the list. A rear rack, bikepacking bags and a bottle add more than the frame weight difference, and tire choice changes the ride more than either. Optimize weight last, after fit and gearing.

Where brands cut cost that you cannot see

The bottom bracket, headset, cassette and brake rotors are where manufacturers quietly save money, and these are the parts you touch most often. A basic mechanical or entry-level bearing headset can make a great bike feel vague, and that is the complaint riders describe but cannot explain.

Cassettes and rotors are cheaper substitutes for the same reason. They rarely cause failures, they just wear sooner and cost more to replace later. A rear derailleur clutch, by contrast, is often kept because the noise saving on rough surfaces is obvious to customers. Check whether the bike you want has one.

Drop bar or flat bar?

Drop bars give you three hand positions, better aerodynamics and a proper road feel, and they suit riders coming from road bikes or cyclocross. Flat bars give an upright position, excellent low-speed control and a much shorter learning curve, and they suit commuters, first-timers and riders who value visibility over speed.

Most roundups assume drop bars. If you are buying one bike to replace a road bike, a winter commuter bike and a weekend bike, flat bars are a legitimate and often better answer. The two Tommaso bikes here are the flat-bar option in this roundup.

Sizing, and what to do if you are a shorter rider

Fit matters more than every other consideration combined, and it is the one thing you cannot fix with money. The carbon bikes here run from 47cm to 58cm with 24 size and color combinations, which gives shorter riders real options that many brands do not offer at this price.

If you are on the boundary between two sizes, size up and fit a shorter stem rather than the reverse. You can always lower the bars, and you cannot lengthen a reach that is too short. Riders who report saddle discomfort on long rides are usually sitting too far forward, not riding a bad saddle.

New or used at this budget?

Used is where the value is, if you are comfortable with it. For the same money as a new bike here, a three-to-five-year-old bike with a GRX or 105 groupset and better wheelsets is a real upgrade in component quality. The trade is unknown service history and no warranty.

If you buy new, the bikes on this list arrive needing some level of setup, so budget for a shop tune on the carbon models. Several arrive 90 percent pre-assembled, which saves time, and none of them arrive fully dialled in.

What it costs to own after the purchase

Nobody budgets for this and everybody notices it. Professional assembly and fitting runs well above zero, a good saddle is a real expense, and tires will be the first consumable to replace. Tubeless sealant, if you go tubeless, is an ongoing cost that adds up over a season.

My advice on upgrades, in order, is tires, then brakes, then wheels. Tires change the ride more than any component and cost the least. Only touch the drivetrain if something is actually worn. On a hydraulic bike, pads and rotors are the brake upgrade, and both are cheap compared with a new groupset.

If you are still narrowing the field, our road bike guide and hybrid bike guide both cover the neighbouring use cases well.

Frequently Asked Questions

The Verdict: Best Gravel Bikes Under 2,000 in 2026

After weighing all eight, the Tommaso Sentiero Sport is the best gravel bike under $2,000 for most people in 2026. Sixty-nine owner ratings is more long-term evidence than anything else in this roundup, the Shimano drivetrain is complete rather than a road group in disguise, and the lifetime frame warranty removes the biggest risk in buying a bike online. Get it fitted properly and replace the saddle, and it is a bike you will keep for years.

Buy something else if your needs are specific. Take the SAVADECK GRX400 Carbon for hydraulic braking and drop-bar control on road-leaning gravel. Take the SAVADECK GRX610 12-Speed build if you climb steep loose terrain and need the gearing. Take the KABON R8000 Zenium if you want the fastest drivetrain available and can handle a shop fitting.

Whatever you choose, remember the framework rather than the model names. Get a frame that fits, prioritize hydraulic discs, buy the widest tires the rims safely allow, and work out your lowest gear ratio before you fall for a groupset badge. Those four decisions get you 90 percent of the way to a great bike, and they are the reasons every pick on this list is worth considering. For the wider market beyond this bracket, our complete gravel bike guide is the natural next read.