{"id":738198,"date":"2025-11-25T21:48:09","date_gmt":"2025-11-25T18:48:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=738198"},"modified":"2025-11-25T21:48:09","modified_gmt":"2025-11-25T18:48:09","slug":"whats-the-best-all-around-gravel-bike-for-2026-we-tested-7-top-models-head-to-head","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=738198","title":{"rendered":"What\u2019s the Best All-Around Gravel Bike for 2026? We Tested 7 Top Models Head to Head."},"content":{"rendered":"
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Updated November 25, 2025 10:06AM<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Welcome one and all to Velo\u2019s Fall Field Test, presented by Visit Maine! We spent two weeks riding seven of the latest and most important gravel bikes amongst the fall foliage of coastal Maine, which provided varied testing grounds from coastal trails to long stretches of gravel and singletrack trails as we ventured inland. Now we\u2019re bringing you along for the ride as Alvin, Hannah, and Will figure out what the best all-around gravel bike is for 2026.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s plenty of beautiful rides, lobster rolls, and arguments over the minutiae of gravel ahead in this four-part series. We\u2019ll get to the bikes and how we tested them in a second, but first, this is how we selected our test lineup.<\/p>\n

\"Velo
Alvin and Hannah testing gravel bikes at the Velo Fall Field Test.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The bike selection criteria<\/h2>\n

We want this test to be a close companion in your gravel bike buying journey, so with that in mind here is how we selected the bikes:<\/p>\n

    \n
  • New<\/strong>: The bikes needed to have been released within the last year to give us the best comparison possible of modern all-around gravel bikes.<\/li>\n
  • Budget<\/strong>: We capped the upper limit on test bikes at $6,000. You can easily spend twice that (or more) on high performance bikes these days, but this price tends to be the sweet spot for performance and value, and the amount that our readers have told us they\u2019re looking to spend. Want to spend less than that? Some of these bikes come in well under that price point, or can be found with lower end spec. Want to spend more? In many cases, you can find the same models we tested with higher spec components.<\/li>\n
  • Availability<\/strong>: There are a lot of great bikes out there. We chose ones that are widely available either through your local bike shop or by purchasing online direct to consumer.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    The 7 gravel bikes on test<\/h2>\n
    \n

    Cannondale Topstone Carbon<\/h3>\n
    \"The<\/figure>\n

    Specification:<\/strong>\u00a0Topstone Carbon 2 AXS \u2013 1x
    Tire clearance, claimed:<\/strong> 700c x 56 mm front, 52 mm rear
    Weight (tested size):<\/strong> 20.1 pounds\/9.12 kg (51 cm)
    Price<\/strong>: $4,799<\/p>\n<\/section>\n

    \n

    State Bicycle Co. Titanium All-Road<\/h3>\n
    \"The<\/figure>\n

    Specification:<\/strong> Titanium All-Road \u2013 Apex XPLR AXS
    Tire clearance, claimed: <\/strong>700c x 50 mm
    Weight (tested size):<\/strong> 21.6 pounds\/9.8 kg (Size S)
    Price<\/strong>: $3,399<\/p>\n<\/section>\n

    \n

    Canyon Grizl<\/h3>\n
    \"The<\/figure>\n

    Specification: <\/strong>Grizl CF 7 ESC
    Tire clearance, claimed:<\/strong> 700c x 54 mm
    Weight (tested size):<\/strong> 19.9 pounds\/9.03 kg (size XS)
    Price<\/strong>: $3,399<\/p>\n<\/section>\n

    \n

    Specialized Diverge<\/h3>\n
    \"The<\/figure>\n

    Specification:<\/strong> Diverge 4 Expert \u2013 SRAM Rival XPLR
    Tire clearance, claimed: <\/strong>700c x 50 mm or 29 x 2.2\u2033
    Weight (tested size):<\/strong> 20.1 pounds\/9.1 kg (size 52 cm)
    Price<\/strong>: $5,999<\/p>\n<\/section>\n

    \n

    Orbea Terra<\/h3>\n
    \"The<\/figure>\n

    Specification:<\/strong> Terra M20i Team
    Tire clearance, claimed: <\/strong>700c x 50 mm
    Weight (tested size):<\/strong> 18.7 pounds\/8.5 kg (size S)
    Price<\/strong>: $5,999<\/p>\n<\/section>\n

    \n

    Giant Revolt<\/h3>\n
    \"The<\/figure>\n

    Specification:<\/strong> Revolt Advanced Pro 1
    Tire clearance, claimed:<\/strong> 700c x 53 mm
    Weight (tested size):<\/strong> 19.3 pounds\/8.74 kg (size S)
    Price<\/strong>: $5,600<\/p>\n<\/section>\n

    \n

    Pinarello Grevil F<\/h3>\n
    \"The<\/figure>\n

    Specification: <\/strong>Grevil F3 Apex AXS
    Tire clearance, claimed: <\/strong>700c x 50 mm
    Weight (tested size): <\/strong>20.0 pounds\/9.08 kg (50 cm)
    Price<\/strong>: $3,700<\/p>\n<\/section>\n

    How we tested<\/h2>\n
    \"Testing<\/figure>\n

    In this four-part video series, we\u2019re crowning our favorite gravel bike for 2026, so to do that, we rode each bike a lot \u2014 and then a whole lot more. We also put them through a wide range of challenges meant to decipher how they handle a wide range of environments, from type-1 gravel to singletrack better suited to a mountain bike.<\/p>\n

    We also know that wheels and tires have an outsize impact on how a gravel bike rides. That\u2019s why we outfitted each bike with the exact same wheels and tires, Easton EC90 ALX paired with 45 mm Schwalbe G-One R Pro tires, each run at a constant tire pressure across the bikes.<\/p>\n

    Gravel means different things to different riders depending on where they live and what terrain is readily available \u2014 coastal California is not Kansas is not high country Colorado. Given that wide range, we devised a few tests to assess the full breadth of what these bikes are capable of.<\/p>\n

      \n
    • In episode 1<\/strong>, we get our bearings with all the bikes, setting them up with our control wheels and tires before taking each bike out for a first impressions loop. Unfortunately, not every bike will make it past the first episode. We\u2019re here to pick our favorite gravel bike for 2026, and to get there, we\u2019re eliminating bikes each step of the way until we crown a winner.<\/li>\n
    • In episode 2<\/strong>, we see how these bikes handle in a climbing challenge and a descending challenge.<\/li>\n
    • In episode 3<\/strong>, we continue the challenges with an aero efficiency test and an under-biking challenge, pushing the bikes to the limits of where you\u2019d want to take a gravel bike \u2014 because, hey sometimes getting to the best riding requires pushing beyond your comfort zone.<\/li>\n
    • In episode 4<\/strong>, we take the bikes on a big ride across multiple types of terrain before crowning our favorite all-around gravel bike for 2026.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
      \n
      \"Riding<\/figure>
      Alvin putting a test bike through the paces.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
      \n
      ADVERTISEMENT<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

      What\u2019s to come in our Fall Gravel Bike Field Test<\/h2>\n

      In addition to the four episode series, we\u2019re also reviewing each individual bike. We\u2019ll update this page with links to those episodes and reviews as we release them.<\/p>\n

      \n
      ADVERTISEMENT<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

      In the meantime, enjoy episode 1, and we\u2019ll see you back here for the next few weeks!<\/p>\n

      \"Camden,
      Camden, Maine was our home base for the Velo Field Test.\u00a0(Photo: AlbertPego)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

      Thank you to our sponsors!<\/h2>\n
      \n
      \"The<\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n

      Velo\u2019s Fall Field Test was made possible by Visit Maine.<\/p>\n

      Additional support came from Leatt for helmets and shoes, Giordana for riding apparel, Feedback Sports for tools, Easton for wheels, and Schwalbe for tires.<\/p>\n

      \n
      ADVERTISEMENT<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

      The team that made Velo Field Test possible<\/h2>\n

      A special thank you to the many folks it took to make the Velo Fall Field Test a reality!<\/p>\n

      \"filming
      The Field Test crew working through all conditions.<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

      Video team<\/strong>: Logan Patrick Nelson, Satchel Cronk, Max Barron
      Video editor<\/strong>: Logan Patrick Nelson
      Bike shop support<\/strong>: Maine Sport Outfitters
      Routes, locations, and other logistical help<\/strong>: Visit Maine
      Lunch wranglin\u2019 and extra on the ground support<\/strong>: Caroline Lustgarten, Liam Ereneta, Brian Park
      Testers<\/strong>: Alvin Holbrook, Hannah Gross
      Host<\/strong>: Will Tracy<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

      Source URL: https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/gravel\/gravel-gear\/best-all-around-gravel-bike-2026\/<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

      Updated November 25, 2025 10:06AM Welcome one and all to Velo\u2019s Fall Field Test, presented by Visit Maine! We spent two weeks riding seven of the latest and most important gravel bikes amongst the fall foliage of coastal Maine, which provided varied testing grounds from coastal trails to long stretches of gravel and singletrack trails […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":738199,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[71],"class_list":["post-738198","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-politics","tag-velo-outsideonline-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/738198","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=738198"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/738198\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/738199"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=738198"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=738198"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=738198"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}