Best entry-level gravel bikes- Versatile options to head off-road

Gravel bikes are increasingly divergent, so it's worth considering what you might want to use your entry-level gravel bike for.

At the pointy end of the gravel bike market are gravel race bikes. These will offer a little more tyre clearance than the best road bikes, although, with the ever-increasing space between the stays of road bikes, even that isn't a given.

But a gravel race bike will have a more stable geometry than a road bike, for a less edgy ride. It will also seat you in a more comfortable ride position, as gravel races are typically over long distances.

At the other end of the spectrum are gravel bikes designed for bikepacking. They'll usually have very wide tyre clearance, and low gearing and will often be equipped with 650b wheels for a more comfortable ride when loaded up.

When buying an entry-level gravel bike, it's common not to have a deep understanding of the type of gravel riding you'll prefer. You're new to this after all. So if you're not sure what you're going to want to do on your gravel bike, it's worth looking for a bike that can handle a range of duties from bikepacking and racing through to setting up with mudguards and a rack for commuting. 

Most entry-level gravel bikes are designed to handle all of the above, but it's worth checking that you can mount everything you might need if you're contemplating trying bikepacking. Likewise, make sure that there's plenty of tyre clearance if you might want to try out more challenging terrain. If where you live gets muddy over the winter, extra clearance may also help keep you rolling more easily and avoid mud accumulation on your frame.

Start looking for a gravel bike and it won't take long before you find yourself presented with a choice of wheel size. When it comes to the best road bikes it's almost unheard of to find anything other than 700c wheels. Start looking at off-road frames and there's a lot more variability. 650b, also sometimes referred to as 27.5-inch wheels, are a common option and some frames work with both options. How do you decide which is best for you?

The simplest breakdown is that a 700c wheel is more desirable for less technical riding and a 650b wheel works better for rougher riding. It's actually much more nuanced, and less critical than that might sound but that's an easy place to start. You can do a lot to fine-tune your set-up by choosing the best gravel tyres for the type of riding and the conditions you expect.

If your riding is likely going to include long stretches of paved riding to get to the off-road riding then 700c is a better choice. If your off-road riding is going to mostly be well-graded unpaved roads or smooth trails 700c is again going to be a good choice. If you think your riding will be a bit more adventurous, a 650b wheel package is a better choice.

The overall diameter of the wheel and tyre combined affects the handling of a bike and the design of the frame. Making room for a big tyre and wheel means a longer frame and less manoeuvrability. One way that frame builders solve this design challenge is to switch to a 650b wheel and tyre combination. With the wheel size reduced the tyre can be bigger to make up the same external diameter. A larger tyre footprint gives more traction in loose dirt or mud. A larger tyre also has more air volume and allows for lower pressure. Lower pressure adds comfort over rougher roads or when travelling loaded up for bikepacking.

Whichever direction you go at the beginning it's okay to change your mind later. Many modern gravel bikes support both 650b and 700c and making a change only requires a new set of wheels and tyres. Even if you can't change wheels, or don't want to, whatever wheel size you have isn't going to hold you back. There are advantages to each but if you want to use 650b wheels on a road ride, or 700c wheels on chunky gravel, tyres are an easy change to make.

The vast majority of bike frames, gravel or otherwise, use carbon or aluminium for the frame. To a lesser extent, you can also find titanium or steel frames on the market and we've highlighted the unique magnesium alloy Vaast above. Like wheel size, each material has advantages but their downsides won't hold you back.

The least common options are steel and titanium. Steel was at one point the only option for bike frames but as lighter, stiffer, options became available steel nearly disappeared. In today's world steel and titanium find their place mostly with small custom builders.

Both metals flex in a predictable fashion and those who know how to take advantage of that can tune a frame. Titanium is lighter but it's also more expensive and harder to work with. Steel is an excellent choice if you plan to be in remote areas of the world. It's heavier but it's easy to work with and any craftsman who can weld an axle can fix a broken steel frame.

For most people, the choice is going to be between aluminium and carbon. Aluminium is less expensive and is often looked at as the inferior option. That's a mistake in general but especially in the gravel world.

The main advantage of carbon frames is weight and tunability. Carbon is a much lighter material than any metal but it's the tunability that makes it special. Using different types of carbon, thickness, and directionality of the weave changes the stiffness. With this in mind, a manufacturer can add, or remove, flex anywhere in a frame.

Aluminium is less labour-intensive, which saves money, but is also less tunable. Like all metals, it's more difficult to change stiffness in only one area of a tube. Aluminium carries a reputation for harshness but a quality modern aluminium frame is a joy to ride. There are also some advantages to aluminium for gravel. A layer of sand that works its way under a frame bag can rub through the paint on an aluminium frame. If it's carbon it can actually rub through the frame itself. Don't be afraid to choose aluminium and save some money for other aspects of the build.

Commonly you will see this referred to as 1x or 2x but call it what you want, it refers to how many gears you have available. 1x11 for example would mean 11 total gears while 2x11 would be 22. More is not always better though so it's not a clear-cut decision, as there's overlap between the gear ratios on the two rings in a 22-speed set-up, so the actual discrete number of gear ratios you get may not be many more than with a single ring, although you may have smaller jumps between them mid-range.

The primary argument in favour of 1x gearing is simplicity. Many people will tell you it's less weight and less to break but in use those are minimal concerns. What you will notice, on every ride, if you choose a 1x drivetrain is the simplicity of not worrying about the front chainring. 

If you want easier gear, move up the cassette and if you need harder move down. It's especially handy when the riding gets rough and you've got a lot going on. Sounds pretty good, so why would anyone ever choose 2x?

The extra gears available with 2x make it easier to find the perfect gear. Two chainrings in the front allow for both more range and less space between gears. Mud clogging can be exacerbated by a front derailleur though, which can stop working properly if this gets really bad.

Bikepackers who need exceptionally easy gear ratios for carrying supplies up steep grades often want 2x, or even 3x, to find enough range. Fast riders who spend a lot of time racing might also want to optimise cadence with a 2x setup.

At the cheaper end of the market, gravel bikes often come equipped with road-going groupsets. These may not give you the gear range to tackle off-road steep sections, so you might find yourself walking sections that a bike with a lower-ratio gravel groupset would let you ride.

Likewise, cheaper gravel bikes might have cable operated mechanical rather than hydraulic disc brakes. You'll also get lower-spec wheels and tyres may not be tubeless-ready. Tubeless is pretty much essential for gravel riding, to lower the risk of punctures and eliminate pinch flats.

So the cheapest gravel bike isn't necessarily the best entry-level gravel bike option; you want a bike that does the gravel bike basics well but that you'll be able to live with and potentially upgrade as you get more into gravel riding.

The challenge is that when starting out it's hard to justify spending a lot of money on something you aren't yet sure you'll enjoy enough. Is gravel riding going to be a lifelong passion worthy of spending serious money on, or a fleeting hobby not worth the big investment? Are you going to gravitate more towards gravel racing or bikepacking? Or maybe you'll end up preferring singletrack you can only barely handle on a drop-bar bike. You won't know until you spend some time trying things out.

So when we talk about the best entry-level gravel bikes here, it isn't all about cost - in fact, there's a good chance you can bag one of the best gravel bikes, where we've not made cost a primary consideration, at a really good price point. 

Of course, price matters but try not to make it the only goal; instead, try to focus your search on versatility. As you gain more experience with gravel cycling, you'll be able to look for a more niche bike that matches your interests, but in the beginning, look for an all-rounder that can work for whatever you want to try. If you stay flexible, that first bike won't hold you back.

Of course, if the price is more of a priority for you, then be sure to check out our list of the best budget gravel bikes, or our guide to the best gravel bikes under £2000.