[Closed] Why are gravel bikes so heavy ?

Is that heavy then?

you are looking at the wrong ones....

think mine is about 8.8kg

My Rose DX cross with Alu frame, carbon fork, full Ultegra hydraulic disks and DT Swiss wheels with tubeless 35mm tyres, SPDs and mudguards is just over 9kg.

Seems pretty reasonable to me considering I can ride it off road and year round

Chunkier frames, forks and supplied wheels.

Ive no idea what mine weighs.

For safety obviously.

Gravel is Gnarly AF it might look the case but it's actually nothing like or touring potholed uncategorised roads on an old CX bike or a dawes galaxy at all. No way you'd get me trying it

Heavy? My Cutthroat is 9.5kg on uncalibrated scales, my Salsa Marrakesh tourer, now that’s the only bike I know likely to survive a nuclear holocaust...14.5kg, that’s ruddy heavy.

Such a broad spectrum too.  Some might be slightly beefed up road, others are marginally slimmed down 29'ers.  What price bracket are we talking here? There's probably a lot being used at lower price points as N+1's, so will be a bit lardy.

Well when you can have a rigid mtb of similar spec and lighter .. Where’s the weight hiding ?

Ive got a space chicken and with few Chinese upgrades it’s 8.6kg medium with pedals. Full sram force and decent wheels.

Supposedly 9.8kg here but feels lighter.   Super nimble yet bloody strong.  Absolutely love it. I don't buy into the weight thing - if I enjoy riding it then job done.

Gravel is Gnarly AF it might look the case but it’s actually nothing like or touring potholed uncategorised roads on an old CX bike or a dawes galaxy at all.

Shoosh you,or they'll all want one!

My pinnacle iroko has full xt nice wheels and a pike its 11.7kgs with pedals.. Giant slr anyroad £1250 is 10.72kgs no pedals.

9.8kg here.  Feels super nimble yet bloody strong.  Absolutely love it. I don’t buy into the weight thing.

Couple of mates spent a fair chunk chasing that sort of weight on 29r MTB's

 Giant slr anyroad £1250 is 10.72kgs no pedals.

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Canyon Grail 7.0 CF £2k 8.8Kg No Pedals, been bombproof so far

My pinnacle iroko has full xt nice wheels and a pike it’s 26lbs

So 11.8kg - sounds like you have some mismatched specs or intents there

last one i built was 8.8kg, didn't seem too portly

Beefier frame and wheels than a strictly road bike. Disc brakes too. Chunkier and more PR resistant tyres. Bigger range cassette. Guess it all adds up at each price point.

But similarly, probably lighter than a HT MTB at each price point.

Occupies the middle ground dunnit!

2015 Fargo 11.3 kg but feels lighter.

My bottom of the range caad x with tiagra, and upgraded wheels and tyres weighs less than 10 kg with pedals. That's with absolutely stock finishing kit, a 800 gramme fork, and budget groupset.

The wheels are fit for purpose 1850 gm affairs. Could probably get it to under 9kg with an ultegra groupset, carbon parts, and weight weenie wheels, but I see no point. It's my favourite bike and I ride it far more than my carbon best bikes costing 3 or 4 times as much, but part of its appeal is that its cheap and chearful, and I don't go out on it trying to smash pbs on Strava.. It's for cruising about having fun and getting out in the fresh air.

Just highlighting you can have an11.8kg modern geometry beefy-ish mtb with 120mm travel fork for pretty gnarly mtb action. Yet a road type frame with no suspension/lighter tyres and ok even allowing for a beefier frame is only a couple of lbs lighter ?

Yet a road type frame with no suspension/lighter tyres and ok even allowing for a beefier frame is only a couple of lbs lighter

and ones like mine that are 6.5lb lighter, So plenty of bikes about

Some are designed to carry lots of luggage.

Some aren't.

my cube nuroad was far too light for me. so light infact that i sold it because it made riding too easy.

i replaces it with a concrete surly ecr with monster wheels and steel everything.

far harder to propel, which is ace for training purposes.

why would anyone want to ride a light bike.

Just highlighting you can have an11.8kg modern geometry beefy-ish mtb with 120mm travel fork for pretty gnarly mtb action. Yet a road type frame with no suspension/lighter tyres and ok even allowing for a beefier frame is only a couple of lbs lighter ?

And how much do each of those bikes cost?

Salsa Vaya here, steel frame carbon fork, tubeless 650b wheelset, Carbon seatpost, full 105 drivetrain and trp/hd brakes, coming in at 22lbs. Not overly concerned with the weight ( I’m not racing) when I was building it. To be honest was more concerned with comfort and durability especially as I’m on and off road and can easily manage sections of local trail centre. Don’t get hung up on weight.

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Mine's a little over 18lbs with pedals (Time XC8) and a couple of Elite Cannibal cages.

Therein lies the issue, gravel covers a spectrum from crabon fribe fastvagens all the way to biffers like a Bombtrack Hook ADV (c.29lbs).

A bit like saying, "Why are MTBs so heavy?" and using this as an example,

Rather than this,

My alu Bergamont Grandurance Tiagra, disks, carbon fork - 9.8kg:

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I've been posting here about how heavy and slow it feels compared to my 8.3kg road bike.   It is heavier, and slower yet much more stable, and of course whisks through "gravel".     Its easy to moan about that but long slow rides during winter will be its forte.  Because of the Grey I've nicknamed it "the Tank"...

As alluded above though, that was £995 compared to the carbon road bike which was £1500 reduced from £2250...  so thats £600 per 1.5kg.

It seems like the cycle to work scheme 'gravel' buys have flooded the market with heavy (ish),ok type bikes.

If you want something a lighter you need to shop/build a bit different.

Yeah guess it’s maybe sub £1500ish bikes with heavy wheels/finishing kit ? Still heavy for the money though 🙁

Still heavy for the money though

So whats a good weight for a 1k bike?

https://road.cc/content/review/231252-specialized-allez-elite-2018

This is tipping the scales at 8.77kg, good value package from spec there

Krytons bike above is 9.7kg at the same price point with discs, sturdier/wider wheels and bigger rubber and probably a bit more frame to go with it

Can't find the weight on the Rockhopper Pro X1

https://www.specialized.com/gb/en/mens-rockhopper-pro-1x/p/154450?color=236326-154450 but that is the equivilant HT price point there.

I've got an alloy one and with pedals, saddle pack, pump, cages, garmin etc its bang on 10kg. Mates carbon chinese 3T copy is about 500g lighter (heavier wheels mostly). The weight problem on my bike is me.

If you fix price at say 2k, then Canyons weights are

Road, rim brake - 7.1kg https://www.canyon.com/en-gb/road/ultimate/ultimate-cf-sl-8-0.html

Road, disc brake - 7.8kg https://www.canyon.com/en-gb/road/ultimate/ultimate-cf-sl-disc-7-0.html

Gravel - 8.8kg https://www.canyon.com/en-gb/road/grail/grail-cf-sl-7-0.html

29er - 10.3kg https://www.canyon.com/en-gb/mtb/exceed/exceed-cf-sl-6-0-pro-race.html

So presumably it's a combination of the weight of discs, plus the weight of tyres, beefed up frame etc.

So we can file this

Essentially a slightly beefed up road frame sporting skinnier tyres than a mtb and obviously cheap wheels at a given price point but **** me 10-12kgs

As just lack of research then? And the weights all make sense unless your comparing an ultralight road bike, WC XC Hard Tail and a steel gravel bike then?

My vaya with steel frame. cheap wheels. 47c tyres was over 12kg

My CaadX with alu frame, mid range wheels and 38c tyres is ~8kg.

Not a gravel bikes are the same.

Lots of bikes have really heavy wheels- especially ~£1k - you can loose a lot of weight even with cheap upgrade wheels.

How on earth do you get your caad x to weigh 8kg? Must be a pretty bling build as mine is just under ten with upgraded wheels and 35mm gravel King sks.

My CaadX with alu frame, mid range wheels and 38c tyres is ~8kg.

Are you sure? The CAADX range tends to be just approximately 10kg as standard. My old Sora and canti equipped CAADX is roughly around 10kg, even with lighter wheels and tyres, and the 2018 Ultegra bike was the same according to Cycling Weekly.

I bought this Norco for something like £500 from Ebay. It was a couple of months old & like new.

As standard it's fitted with TRP Spyre cable discs,Shimano 105,Scwalbe Tyrago 35c tyres & with proper mudguards,Crank Bros candy pedals,lights,pump & saddlepack it comes in at a burly 13.5kg.

Sure it's a burly beast but for £500 I'm not complaining.As others have pointed out you can get lighter bikes,it just depends on how much you want to spend.

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Mikesmith.. No not really. Giant one of the big hitters not shy of turning out a light alloy frame have the £1250 slr tough road at 10.7kgs(no pedals) ? Surely the point of gravel bikes is they are lighter and faster than mtb’s ? Obviously on suitable terrain ? Any £1000 Hardtail with pogostick up front replaced with rigid fork will be similar weight to a gravel rig ? Not just giant look at ns rag-genesis datum-specialized sequoia(ok steel) lots of others

Weights quoted from manufacturers are fantasy at best !! I’m only going on actual weight of my mtb and gravel bike.

Are you ignoring all the examples of 8-9kg gravel bikes out there in even in the £1k market. Giant may have got theirs a bit out or a bit different there, plenty of others are doing just fine with sub 10kg bikes about halfway between the similar price point road and 29r HT

The weight of my Canyon is spot on the quoted weight.

"Are you ignoring all the examples of 8-9kg gravel bikes out there in even in the £1k market"

Which bikes are these?

Please show me gravel bikes sub 9kg for £1000

Are you sure? The CAADX range tends to be just approximately 10kg as standard.

No - my spreadsheet is at home. It only retains frame fork/ headset as original every other part upgraded, and a lot are quite light. I took over 2 kilos off the vaya, then moved most of the parts over.

mistype to mean 8.x - 9.x but take Krytons sub 10kg one up there others available, I could of course go and cherry pick where a brand has a gravel bike heavier than an XC HT but plenty in the sub 10kg range which seems resonable taking the Spec Allez on the other page as 8.77kg for an Alu road bike anything under 10 is on par surely?

Please show me gravel bikes sub 9kg for £1000

as above see my correction - would sub 10kg be acceptable to you? Is that not resonable for the cash?

Bergamont were some of the heaviest(quoted) I looked at they quote 9.8kg I reckon 10.5-11kg no pedals if kryton would weigh his ?

I don’t think sub 10kg is available for sub £1000

Any £1000 Hardtail with pogostick up front replaced with rigid fork will be similar weight to a gravel rig

Similar weight to what gravel bike though?   Let's use your example of a 10.7kg gravel bike.  Now give me an example of a £1000 hardtail that would be same weight with a 800g rigid fork.

Cannondale Cujo 1 -  £999 and 13.7kg

Swap 2.2kg forks for 0.8kg rigid and weight is now 12.3.

Still heavier than similar priced gravel bike.  Why do you think the gravel bike should be so much lighter anyway as both bikes have discs, similar gears, chain sets, stems, seat post, etc,.  The only things that are different and have to be heavier on the MTB are tyres and forks.

Actually please show me a sub 10kg gravel bike for rrp £1000

I don't think you'll get sub-9kg for less than a grand. Although you'll certainly be able to find 10kg+ for more than £1000 - I was amazed by how much some really, really expensive bikes weighed!

e.g. Whyte Glencoe - £1300 and weighs 11.5kg! The chap in the shop didn't seem impressed when I pointed out that it was heavier than my full-suss!

For comparison, I paid £1600 for a Ridley X-Trail Carbon Ultegra and that weighs 8.7kg after I swapped the tyres and converted to tubeless. I don't think I'd go lighter than this for the riding I do.

Well take that up with Kryton who says he has one....

How much are you spending to get a MTB HT to 10kg?

Diverge E5 Elite

https://www.cyclingabout.com/2018-specialized-diverge-light-touring-bikes/

Is apparently coming in just over the 10kg mark on the scales for an alu frame and all the bits that go with it and £999

But plenty of examples of bikes at a good weight for the price already.

its a sort of continuum based on density

carbon fibre bikes, aluminium alloy bikes, titanium alloy bikes, steel bikes, mineral aggregate bikes

makes sense when you look at it like this

No idea what  my Diverge weighs but it feels only slightly heavier than my Giant Defy.

For a given price the MTB will be using similar level of components as the gravel bike with some components being very similar (seat, post, stem, mech, cassette, chains, wheels, disc brakes etc,.) which only really leaves the following

Fork 1.5kg heavier

Tyres 600g heavier

Frame  500g heavier  (The MTB frame doesn't really need to be heavier than the gravel frame if using same material but lets say it is beefier and therefore 500g more)

Difference is therefore around 2.5kg.  For £1000 you get a 10-11kg gravel bike or a 13-14kg MTB which seems to be what we are seeing.  Even when going expensive bike the gravel bike would be around 7-8kg while ether MTB would be around 9-10kg so still 2KG difference.

Maybe I’m expecting too much 🙁  Guess it’s less likely to break/fall to bits if it’s overbuilt !!  Still lots of heavy gravel bikes for what they are though

Bergamont were some of the heaviest(quoted) I looked at they quote 9.8kg I reckon 10.5-11kg no pedals if kryton would weigh his ?

I just the standing on the digital scales x 3 with then without bike.

So totally stock, still tubes in, with the addition of 2 x Elite Cages, 105 pedals, tape for the winter guards and a wahoo out front mount its 10.9kg.

Its a better Spec than the Diverge E5 Comp at the same weight though.  Obvious weighty things are the stock wheels, OEM Performance Schwalbes, seat post stem & bars.

For me as stated above I don't want performance.  I want a sturdy comfy winter bike for long Z2 rides, and early morning intervals around the local gravel based Park pathways, plus a "utility" bike for school runs etc.  Fits the bill IMO.

Edit - not sure of other Gravel bikes but the Bergamont has some massive tubing.  The Headtube is as wide as my forearm.

Pinnacle Arkose X 2018 is listed as 9.5kg.  Seems respectable what with hydraulic brakes etc.  £900

Still lots of heavy gravel bikes for what they are though

Not sure why you are expecting massive weight differences - the only difference is forks, tyres and a bit of difference in frame between a gravel bike and an MTB.  What bit don't you understand?

Relight mustang elite can be had for about 850. They’re 10.4 kg so spend the remaining 150 on best bang for buck weight saving.

tyres, bars, saddle, etc to get the weight under 10.

Gt grade alloy tiagra.

850 and  10.1 kg

You need too look harder.

Also, Planet X xla is 700 for 10.5kg.

looking at the spec it would be easy to get that sub 9 or less for under a grand.

I have never weighed a bike and don’t understand the need unless racing competitively. I wouldn’t trust a really light bike and would assume it’s going to break easily (I’m probably wrong). Steel all the way for me

Also, Planet X xla is 700 for 10.5kg.

I bet that doesn't come with a lifetime (Scott) warranty, a set of gears and related paraphernalia at the front, and has mechanical disks.  You aren't comparing like for like, especially if you are wanting a road orientated in the main like me.

There's £300 and about 700g to add right there....

I have never weighed a bike and don’t understand the need unless racing competitively.

When I've been building bikes and upgrading I've done it to see best value upgrades, some stuff adds very little in weight or performance but costs a lot.

The best conclusion from this thread is lots of bikes weigh different amounts...

Nothing wrong with light if it's built well and used as intended,

The only other reason for weighing things is to join in the pissing contests 🙂

Anyway I'll probably take my nice light gravel bike out for a ride this weekend somewhere.

The only other reason for weighing things is to join in the pissing contests

Anyway I’ll probably take my nice light gravel bike out for a ride this weekend somewhere.

And I will take my even lighter gravel bike out

**** all of you.  I'm taking my FS out, which is the same weight as my Gravel bike...  😉

So long as we are all having fun on the bikes it's all good!!

Folks still quoting listed weights. I’d add at least a kilo(being kind) to what manufacturers state.

Yes weight isnt isn’t the be all and end all but still heavy in my eyes.

Folks still quoting listed weights. I’d add at least a kilo(being kind) to what manufacturers state.

Mine was within 50g so no need to add 1kg... I guess that means on your logic we just move everything up 1kg so the weight gaps remain the same.

My carbon race hard tail with tubeless xc race tyres, no dropper and sids weighed more than my bottom of the range caad x and cost twice the price.

You aren't comparing like for like as you can't get a sub 10kg mtb for anything like a grand retail. As has been said similar priced mtbs weigh around 2kg more than a gravel bike, which is mainly in fork and tyres. Every other part is pretty much similar weight so why would you expect it to be lighter if you exclude these parts. Similar weight groupset, similar weight wheels, similar weight frame and finishing kit. Where do you expect the savings to come?

And if you flip it round and compare it to a road bike, how many disk braked sub 1k Road bikes come in at under 9kg off the shelf? Probably not many.. The spesh allez elite is about 8.6 without disk brakes, and thats got one of the lightest frame and forks you will find on an alu bike at that price point. That's the quoted weight without pedals as I recall.

If anyone cares (doubt it) my velobuild gravel bike was £1100 to build and weighs 9.3kg with pedals, top tube bag and f+r lights. If I took the lights off it would be well under 9kg. It's got 105 5800 hydro group and prime wheels.  It's also massive fun to ride (the important bit)

Folks still quoting listed weights. I’d add at least a kilo(being kind) to what manufacturers state.

Yes weight isnt isn’t the be all and end all but still heavy in my eyes.

I have a photo of my scales. Does that count? 🙂

The only other reason for weighing things is to join in the pissing contests

...unless you're in the shop about to drop premium money on a bike that weighs more than a non-premium bike elsewhere. Once you have the bike, I agree that it doesn't matter, but over and over again I've found that a lighter bike is nearly always more fun to ride than a heavier one and I will try to buy something at the lighter end of the scale when I can.

(My last 3 bikes were all weighted for me in the shop prior to purchase. Mwaaahaha!)

I’ve found that a lighter bike is nearly always more fun to ride than a heavier one

That’s interesting. I’ve never found that to be the case. Two of the most fun bikes I’ve had were a Bfe and Trans AM. Both proper porkers. I suppose it depends on what constitutes fun on an individual basis though. Current bike (Cotic Flare) is the most fun I’ve ever had. Not sure if it’s classed as heavy or light though.

That’s interesting. I’ve never found that to be the case. Two of the most fun bikes I’ve had were a Bfe and Trans AM. Both proper porkers

I guess the comparison would be how they run in a light but strong aka expensive build 😉

Also recently I've found claimed weight to be a lot closer (and possibly why spec and giant don't quote them on their sites)

Don’t think it would be possible to make a light Trans AM build 😀

Light bikes are better all things being equal Imo, but what makes the most difference is the wheels and tyres. I've bought a number of sub 1k cx bikes over the years and all felt pretty sluggish with the standard wheels and tyres they come with, which usually means a Wheelset weighing over 2k and some non folding variety of schwalbe performance range tyres. Swapping then for something lighter transformed the bikes.

That's not exclusive to gravel and cx bikes though. I recently bought a spesh allez, and by swapping the wheels and tyres it came with to some mavics with gp4000s I saved 900 gms.

In my experience, if weight is a concern most bikes that costs under a 1k will require the wheels being swapped straight out the box.

They’re all heavy shit when blowing out your arse up a windy climb and your mates about 800mtrs in front blowing raspberries at you.

Bikes are heavy.

Grow some legs.

STOP FEEDING THE TROLL!

Christ make a few observations and your branded a”Troll”

scotroutes must have a really heavy gravel bike ?

Christ make a few observations and your branded a”Troll”

Well refuse evidence is a good start