On a budget? 3 affordable gravel bikes around 1000 euros in the test

If you want to try out gravel biking for the first time and are not yet familiar with the world of bikes, you may be reluctant to invest several thousand euros in a bike. So it makes sense to look around to see if and how you can make your first attempts at gravel biking for less money. Once you've fallen in love with gravel, you can invest in better gravel equipment later on. Brand manufacturers offer their cheapest gravel bikes from around 1000 euros - and these do not necessarily come from the supposedly ever cheaper mail-order manufacturers such as Rose or Canyon. These bike manufacturers have nothing to offer at this price. The gap is filled by suppliers such as Serious, the own brand of mail order company Fahrrad.de, or the Triban gravel bikes from French sports discounter Decathlon. Specialist brands that offer gravel bikes at this price are rather rare, but they do exist: the Giant Revolt 2 for 1049 euros is the representative bike in this test.

• Technique training: off-road gravel bike riding technique
• 4 aluminium gravel bikes from 1699 euros on test

Aluminium gravel bike frames - affordable and good

At first glance, all of the gravel bikes tested look high-quality and sporty. But are they as much fun to ride as the models that are more than twice as expensive? Of course, you won't find a lightweight carbon frame in this price range. All three candidates are based on aluminium frames. In the case of Serious, the fork is also made of aluminium, while in the Triban and Giant models, carbon forks guide the front wheels. It goes without saying that this, together with the favourable equipment, is reflected in the weight: the gravel bikes from Giant and Triban weigh a good ten kilograms, while the Serious weighs in at 11.0 kilos. To put this into perspective, that's a good kilogramme more than most mid-range gravel bikes; the lightest high-end carbon gravel bikes even come in at just under eight kilos. The handicap cannot be ignored in the saddle either; the bikes seem much more sluggish and accelerate only hesitantly. However, once you come to terms with this, you have to look for the differences in the equipment details.

Triban RC 520 Gravel: A road racing bike in disguise?

The mechanical disc brakes, with which all three cheap gravel bikes decelerate, do not feel as crisp as the hydraulic models, their pressure point is more or less doughy due to the Bowden cable. But there is sufficient braking power. The gears - Shimano on the Giant and Triban, SRAM on the Serious - also work flawlessly. The Triban RC 520 Gravel even impressed us during the test ride with a high-quality Shimano 105 gear system with 22 gears, which leaves hardly anything to be desired. However, the 33 millimetre narrow, unprofiled tyres of the Decathlon gravel bike are not really suitable for off-road riding, especially not in wet conditions. The fact that the Triban gravel bike is actually a road racing bike becomes apparent when you want to fit wider tyres: tyres wider than 35 millimetres do not fit through the rear triangle. Otherwise, there is nothing to complain about, but the Decathlon bike is not a real gravel bike.

The sticking point with inexpensive gravel bikes: the tyres

The Serious Gravix One is different, as it rides on 37 millimetre wide studded tyres as standard. But even these are disappointing: although they bear the same model name as high-quality models, they are real fun brakes. Their stiff carcass is not supple even with low tyre pressure, the gravel bike from Fahrrad.de bucks and jumps off-road. This is probably partly due to the base - the frame and fork are heavier than average and harder than average. Added to this is an uncomfortable saddle.

>>> Gravel bike tyres: 12 tubeless tyres in the TOUR test <<<

The Giant gravel bike performs best for just over 1000 euros: The tubeless tyres roll well and have plenty of grip off-road. You only realise that the inexpensive Shimano Sora gears only have nine sprockets when you start counting: they work almost as smoothly and precisely as higher-quality models. What surprised us most was how comfortable the affordable Giant gravel bike is to ride, and the saddle and handlebars are comfortable too. The bicycle industry giant from Taiwan has therefore saved in the right places - and places more value on the riding experience than on well-known components. So you can have a lot of fun for little money - just not from every manufacturer.

Giant Revolt 2 gravel bike test

At first glance, the simple Giant gravel bike Revolt is almost indistinguishable from the expensive carbon model. The elaborately manufactured aluminium frame has the same shape, but is significantly heavier. The differences in equipment are noticeable, but not striking. Of course, the bike accelerates more slowly, and the nine-speed gears seem spartan compared to those with eleven or even twelve sprockets. However, it works reliably and, thanks to the two chainrings, has plenty of easy gears. The mechanical disc brakes lack the bite and clear pressure point of hydraulic stoppers, but the braking power is sufficient. There are also many similarities to the Revolt Advanced with carbon frame: The comfort seatpost works well, the supple tubeless tyres are great off-road, and the saddle and handlebars are comfortable.

Technical data and TOUR measured values:

• Weight: 10.3 kilogrammes
• Price: 1049 Euro
• Weight frame/fork/headset bearing* 1489/496/74 grams
• Frame sizes** S, M, ML, L, XL
• Seat/top/head tube 485/565/166 mm
• Stack/Reach/STR*** 589/384 mm/1.53
• Wheelbase/caster 1040/62 mm

Equipment

• Drivetrain: FSA Vero Pro (48/32, 11-34 t.)
• Brakes: Tektro MD-C550 (160/160 mm)
• Gear system: Shimano Sora
• Wheels/tyres (weights)****: Giant S-X2 Disc/Giant Crosscut AT 2 38 mm (front/rear: 1802/2365 grams)

Serious Gravix One gravel bike test

Visually, the Serious Gravix One from Fahrrad.de can easily compete with significantly more expensive gravel bikes. The large-volume, cleanly welded aluminium frame in a fresh paint finish, studded tyres with bright sidewalls and the 1 x 11 gears from SRAM really make an impression. But it's the weight of eleven kilos that puts a damper on the riding pleasure of the Serious bike. The frame set alone weighs a good three kilos. Despite the wide tyres, the bike also offers very little suspension comfort - the frame, seat post and fork are extremely hard, the tyres are inflexible even with low air pressure and can hardly alleviate the hardness. On the road, the tyres roll slowly and we would be the first to replace them. Unusual for a gravel bike are the missing threads for mudguards or pannier rack. A version with Shimano's Tiagra gears and a double crankset is available.

Technical data and TOUR measured values:

• Weight: 10.9 kilogrammes
• Price: 1199 Euro
• Weight frame/fork/headset bearing* 2101/882/64 grams
• Frame sizes** S, M, L, XL, XXL
• Seat/top/head tube 540/555/161 mm
• Stack/Reach/STR*** 593/385 mm/1.54
• Wheelbase/caster 1035/63 mm

Equipment

• Drivetrain: SRAM Apex 1 (40, 11-42 t.)
• Brakes: TRP Spyre (160/140 mm)
• Gear system: SRAM Apex 1
• Wheels/tyres (weights)****: Serious Gravix/WTB Riddler 37 mm (front/rear: 1843/2566 grams)

Test of the Triban RC 520 Gravel from Decathlon

Decathlon's own brand has put together a gravel bike at a competitive price, which is very well equipped at first glance with Shimano's 105 gears. The semi-hydraulic TRP brakes and tubeless tyres are also decent, tried and tested components. However, the catch with the Triban RC 520 Gravel is that it is based on a road frame and is therefore only partially suitable for off-road excursions. The treadless tyres are only 33 millimetres wide on the narrow rims and therefore offer hardly any more volume than modern endurance racing bikes; they are quickly overwhelmed by soft ground or even mud. Unfortunately, the frame does not allow for much wider tyres either. It rolls quickly on the road. The upright riding position and good-natured handling qualify the robust Decathlon gravel bike for beginners and long tours on paved roads.

Technical data and TOUR measured values:

• Weight: 10.5 kilogrammes
• Price: 1000 Euro >> available here
• Weight frame/fork/headset bearing* 1909/689/89 grams
• Frame sizes** XS, S, M, L, XL
• Seat/top/head tube 520/560/188 mm
• Stack/Reach/STR*** 600/380 mm/1.58
• Wheelbase/caster 1020/66 mm

Equipment

• Drivetrain: Shimano FC-RS510 (50/34, 11-32 t.)
• Brakes: TRP HY/RD (160/160 mm)
• Gear system: Shimano 105
• Wheels/ tyres (weights)****: Triban TLR Light/Hutchinson Overide TLR Hard Skin 35 mm (f./h.: 1656/2190 grams)

*Weighed weights
**Manufacturer's specification, test size bold
***Stack/reach projected vertical/horizontal measurement from the centre of the bottom bracket to the top of the head tube; STR (stack to reach): 1.36 means a very stretched, 1.60 a very upright sitting position.
****Wheel weights including tyres, cassette, quick release/ thru axles and brake discs if applicable.