Suspension forks, aero frames, mountain bike tyres... it's all a bit too much for me, as I remain firmly in the 'just ride what you have' camp. And as time goes on, I'm becoming more jaded with the whole gravel scene. 

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For me, gravel riding is like an awkward in-between for road and MTB. It's slower on the road, and try as I might, I can't ride a gravel bike on much more technical than a blue trail. But that doesn't mean a gravel bike is any less enjoyable to ride. 

If I'm going somewhere up in the North York Moors, along the Cleveland Way or riding dusty bridleways, then a gravel bike is that much faster - and for me, that's part of the enjoyment. 

Obera Terra 2026 hero, by Orbea

But what I also enjoy about gravel riding is the fact that these bikes are pretty ridiculous. You're essentially riding a road bike with knobbly tyres on and playing a game of 'try not to fall off and contribute to the erosion of the moorland'. 

But as gravel has become more of a popular pastime, and more brands have been investing in the tech side of the discipline, I do wonder if we've gone a little too far. 

Whyte gravel bikes 2025, by Whyte Bikes

Gravel, for me, isn't just about having a really nice time on a bike. It's about purposefully putting yourself in situations where you think to yourself, 'you know, a mountain bike probably would have been better for this', and then doing it anyway and coming away with a sense of pride at surviving. 

Some call it being 'underbiked', this feeling. Some call it Type 2 fun. But if I wanted to spend lots of money on tech, I'd probably spend it on my mountain bike. Not on a dropper with 50mm of travel for a gravel bike. 

I don't remember mountain biking in its early days, as I was still a twinkle in the milkman's eye at that point. So when I hear the old, 'gravel bikes are just 90s mountain bikes', only until recently, I could only dispute that.

I do, however, remember my first foray into gravel riding and enjoying how chilled out and non-conformist the scene was. Baggy shirts? Sure. Lycra shorts? If you want. MTB or road helmets? Nobody cares.

But now, it feels a little bit like aero is everything once again, sock height and colour matter, and if you're not riding an electronic groupset on a carbon frame with mountain bike-width tyres then you're doing it wrong. 

officina.jpg, by Liam Mercer

Or perhaps that's just a jaded view from someone who reads 100s of press releases about all these things each week. At Eurobike a couple of weeks ago, it was plain to see that gravel is still a burgeoning field. So many brands are taking on this part of the market and coming up with gravel-specific components, or faster, more aero frames. 

But do most gravel bikers actually want any of this? Do they really want to spend £1k on a suspension fork that adds 40mm of travel? Or a suspension stem that weighs a ton, costs a pretty penny, and really just makes working on the bike that bit more complex?

Maybe I'm getting old and cynical. But like I said before, the beauty of gravel to me isn't in having the best tech, it's about taking whatever bike you have and exploring. Most of us aren't racing. Most of us take the gravel bike out for a few hours to decompress from reality and get stung by nettles or chased by geese while admiring our surroundings.

Of course, there are a few that do actually want these things and fair play to you. If you're after a fancy, fast carbon gravel bike so you can win Gralloch, then you find whatever marginal gains you have to in order to win.  

But for me, I'll keep riding in whatever kit is comfortable, on a bike that I also use as my winter road bike - although I do swap my tyres for gravel riding, I'm not that much of a glutton for punishment. And maybe I'll see you also stopping for a snack break in a lovely spot on the top of the moors, trying to tempt a lamb to come for a quick cuddle instead of worrying about Strava QOMs or Flight Attendant settings. 

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