In truth they sit somewhere between the two.
Road bike converted to gravel bike.
There s an entire category of bike called the all road bike which overlaps with gravel bike and road bike at the same time.
To make your mountain bike better for riding on the road you need to reduce the factors that make your bike suitable off road.
A gravel bike is often a little bit heavier than a road bike because it s built to be sturdier.
What is a gravel bike and why do i need one.
At first glance not that different from a cyclocross bike gravel bikes are actually distinct and often closer to an endurance road bike.
Gravel bikes are typically designed to tackle obstacles such as gravels rocks pebbles and dirt.
Most road bikes can be converted to gravel bikes but some make better candidates than others.
With the recent flood of 650b gravel adventure bikes coming to market and 47 50mm road plus tires surging in popularity you might be interested in purchasing a new 650b rig or converting the 700c bike you already have.
Suspension tires gearing and position.
And that can mean a lot of fun and a fresh look at where and how you ride a gravel bike can raise a smile in so many ways there are lots of.
The fact that we have seen pro riders choosing to use road bikes converted for gravel shows just how capable a road bike with a few upgrades can be both sandy floren s gravel lite trek emonda and.
So you might feel the difference riding with friends on the uphills but it shouldn t be a huge deal.
A key difference with gravel bikes is a geometry that is usually taller and slacker to give more stability on loose gravel so endurance bikes are ideal road bikes to be converted to gravel bikes as the geometry is better suited for riding off road.
That is why converting a mountain bike to gravel bike requires that you also change the shock absorbers or simply make them tougher.
Otherwise you might just be trying to wade through all the marketing jargon to see if 650b is a good fit for you.