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The 9 Best Gravel Bikes of 2023

By: Colin Edwards: Bike Buyer | June 27, 2023
 

Gravel riding has always been a thing, but luckily for us, in recent years, bike brands have put more energy and effort into creating great gravel bikes. And no, they’re not just road bikes with knobby tires, or mountain bikes with drop bars. Instead, gravel bikes occupy their own unique niche. And part of what makes them so special is their versatility. Raise your tire pressure a little and you can cruise long pavement miles effortlessly. Drop it a few PSI and experience new excitement on familiar singletrack. If you’re going to just own one bike, there’s a good argument to be made that it should be a gravel bike.

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But with so many options, it’s hard to figure out which of the best gravel bikes to choose. That’s why we’ve made it easy with this list. We’ve put together this group of the best gravel bikes we’ve found. Every bike on this list will have its own unique strengths and weaknesses that set it apart from its fellows, but their overarching purpose is all the same: to enable adventure on mixed riding surfaces. So get out your maps and start putting together loops, with a new gravel bike from this list, big exploratory rides have never been more fun or accessible.

Orbea Terra H30 1X Complete

Orbea Terra H30 1X

We encourage you to ride your Orbea Terra H30 1X now. Immediately and often. It's a great bike. But, should you want to put it in a time capsule for future generations, we'd understand that too. With its all-road geometry and voluminous tires, it'd be a perfect exploratory vehicle for emerging mole people, waterfolk, or visitors from the Glack Nebula. The 1x11 drivetrain will be simple enough for anyone, and the frame will hold up too. Unless the Jargomorphs show up.

Frame MaterialDrive TrainOriginal Price
Aluminum AlloyShimano GRX 1x11$2,699.00

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Marin Nicasio 1 Complete

Marin Nicasio 1

The Marin Nicasio 1 Gravel Bike is ideal for the daily commuter who likes to skrrt skrrt down gravel roads in their spare time. This all terrain adventurer sports Beyond Road Geometry for enhanced stability when you get off the pavement, pairing well with the smooth-riding steel frame, disc brakes, and clearance for 650b x 47mm tires. If you're a city slicker with a penchant for the unknown, the Nicasio 1 offers serious bang for your buck.

Frame MaterialDrive TrainOriginal Price
ChromolyShimano Claris 2x8 Drivetrain$899.00

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Orbea Terra H40 Complete

Orbea Terra H40

The Orbea Terra H40 Bike is a drop-bar ATV, the kind of bike we'd choose if we were told we're "going on a bike ride," but were given no other information. It has a lightweight aluminum frame, great for efficient power transfer and stiffness, with a carbon fork to take the sting out of rough gravel rides. Hydraulic brakes and a gravel-ready 2x10 drivetrain give you maximum control and the tools to tackle any hills -- up or down. Commute, gravel, or long ride in your future? This Terra H40 will be ready.

Frame MaterialDrive TrainOriginal Price
Aluminum AlloyShimano GRX 2x10 Speed$2,499.00

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Scott Speedster Gravel 30 Complete

Scott Speedster Gravel 30

The Scott Speedster Gravel 30 Bike will quietly climb to the top of your two-wheeler list. Its skillset covers a huge swath of biking genres, from excellent commuter to competent road bike to outstanding gravel machine. Its stiff aluminum frame is paired with a chatter-killing carbon fork, powerful hydraulic brakes, and a great component spec list to make a bike for any occasion. It comes in your size, no matter your dimensions, and it's ready for action now.

Frame MaterialDrive TrainOriginal Price
Aluminum AlloyShimano GRX 400 2x10$1,899.99

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Revel Rover GRX Complete

Revel Rover GRX

If you're asking yourself why Revel made a gravel bike, the answer is in the question itself. Revel Bikes are from the same family as Why Cycles, who have been cranking out the gnarly titanium R+ gravel bike for a while. The Revel Rover GRX Bike is the answer to the weight weenies who shy away even from titanium, with it's lightweight carbon frame and modern geometry that are ready for serious gravel shredding. The 1x11 GRX drivetrain is the most adventure-ready setup around and there's plenty of room to play with various tire sizes and widths. Racing? This baby is fast. Bikepacking? Just look at those bolts and the giant triangle! Whether jorts or spandex are more your style, the Revel Rover is the bike for you.

Frame MaterialDrive TrainOriginal Price
CarbonShimano GRX$4,600.00

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Norco Search XR S1 Complete

Norco Search XR S1

The Norco Search XR S1 Bike is as rugged as a rigid bike can get. This steel framed adventure rig comes standard with big knobby tires, a dropper post, and a gravel specific component set. Plus, it has attachment points for you to really kit it out into a full on backcountry monster. With its lightweight, powerful pedaling design, it works great as a ride-around-town daily commuter type bike, but it really comes alive on long slogs down old logging roads and skyline tours of forgotten, unpaved ridges.

Frame MaterialDrive TrainOriginal Price
Chromoly, SteelShimano GRX$3,299.00

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Marin Gestalt Complete

Marin Gestalt

Go beyond the road and learn the ways of long gravel trails on the Marin Gestalt Bike. Complete with an aluminum frame, a 2x8 drivetrain, and clearance for up to 32mm tires, the Gestalt is a budget friendly gravel bike that's sure to get you hooked and hungry for more. Whether you commute in a city filled with potholes and cracks, or enjoy venturing out into the countryside, the Gestalt features high quality and reliable components for your next ride.

Frame MaterialDrive TrainOriginal Price
Aluminum2 x 8 Drive Train$999.00

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Scott Addict Gravel 20 Complete

Scott Addict Gravel 20

If you spend any amount of time looking over map apps on your phone, searching for forgotten roads or new routes to explore, the Scott Addict Gravel 20 Bike is the adventurous gravel bike for you. Its full carbon frameset blends light weight, performance, and durability, making it the perfect platform for all your wandering needs. With a host of high-end components, including SRAM's excellent wireless gravel drivetrain and hydraulic disc brakes, this is a traveler's tool that's built to perform for a very long time.

Frame MaterialDrive TrainOriginal Price
Carbon FiberSRAM Rival XPLR eTap AXS$3,699.99

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Marin Gestalt X10 Complete

Marin Gestalt X10

Sitting somewhere in between a gravel grinder and a drop-bar mountain bike, the Marin Gestalt X10 Bike is your answer to off-road adventure riding that doesn't require suspension. Featuring beefy 44mm tires, a carbon fork, and disk breaks, rough riding is on the horizon and looking better than ever. You can even throw on a drop bar, bikepacking rack, or road tires if you must thanks to the Gestalt X's adaptable aluminum frame.

Frame MaterialDrive TrainOriginal Price
Aluminum Alloy2 x 10 Drive Train$1,549.00

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Learn About our Favorite Bike Gear:

Our bike buyer has an endless amount of knowledge on all things bike stemming from years of experience in the bike industry in tandem with their countless hours out on the dirt, gravel, and tarmac. evo's buyers assess all products coming to market, lean into this knowledge, and put together this selection of the best products. They have a unique perspective as they truly see everything offered across the category.

Colin Edwards

Meet Colin Edwards, evo's in-house Bike Buyer and mountain biking aficionado. With 15+ years of e-commerce buying experience under his belt, Colin is the go-to guy for all things related to "Riding Dirt." He's worked across various categories, including bike, snowboard, travel, climbing, and surfing, giving him the know-how to recognize and select top-notch mountain biking products for evo's customers.

Colin's been shredding trails since he was a kid, starting on his trusty hardtail Trek 800 Sport. Born and raised in Utah, he recently made the move to Bellingham, WA with his partner, Kenz. Colin's real-world biking experience, combined with his background in product trends, relationship building, and sales analysis, makes him an invaluable asset to the evo team.

When he's not busy handpicking the raddest gear, you'll find Colin ripping through PNW trails or hunting for the world's best dirt. And when the snow falls, he's all about snowboarding. Colin also loves trail running and exploring the PNW's stunning landscape with his two dogs and Kenz.

With Colin's expertise and passion fueling evo's mountain biking selection, you can trust that his recommendations are spot-on and tailored to the evo community's adventurous spirit.