Why I bought a gravel bike and how it's benefiting me

For anyone wanting to get into cycling, the first port of call is naturally deciding on which bike to buy.

I went about it slightly different and in a manner that I believe will suit people more.

The first question I asked myself was what kind of cycling do I see myself doing?If you had the chance to read my introduct ion to cycling journey, a huge part of it is about being in and around nature.

But I was always going to be on the road now and then, particularly if I want to go around my city of Edinburgh or if I want to go off road but need to get to that location by road first.

And that led me to lean towards having a gravel bike. Below is the list of reasons for buying a gravel bike and how it is benefitting me personally:

1. It's versatile and customisable...

This is probably the biggest reason. Even though a mountain bike can do a similar job, I like the fact that I can use a gravel bike on multiple terrains. It's also easy enough to use for commuting or personal trips around the city because it's so versatile.

I also love the fact that I can change tyre width as there is a generous space to increase or decrease size. If I want to go for speed and road race, I can get a skinnier tyre. If I want more traction and tackle more technical terrains, I can stick on thicker tyres.

It also has several mounting points that will allow me to be flexible with what I want to carry and also give me an opportunity to try out various cargos when I attempt bikepacking one day.

2. ...which means I can go almost anywhere

Thanks to its versatility and customising options, I can go almost anywhere that pleases me.

3. It's a simpler setup

Since it's not an overly complex bike with fewer numbers of components and less complicated mechanics than e.g. foldable bikes or mountain bikes, there are fewer opportunities for things to go wrong or break.

So it's just about focusing on the ride and also not worrying about unexpected breakages and repair costs.

3. Having drop handlebar, shifters and disc brakes

This is the first time I have owned a bike that has drop handlebars, and it is known to be one of the main characteristics of a gravel bike. Compared to a flat bar where there is generally only one hand position, this time I have a lot more hand positioning options that are suitable for different purposes and to give different comfort needs.

And having shifters and brakes on handlebars also gives me a much easier access to shift gears or slow down.

4. Having Hydraulic disc brakes

This is also the first time I am owning a bike that has a hydraulic disc brake, which gives a massively better braking performance regardless of the natural elements.

Plus it looks cooler. 😎

Some people may argue that the parts are more expensive to replace and repair. But the added benefit is that they actually require less frequent maintenance than rim brakes. So for me, the positives of disc brakes far outweighs the negatives.

5. Already comes as tubeless

This might not be a big deal since you can transform many clincher or tubular tyres into tubeless. But most gravel bikes, if not all of them, already come with tubeless tyres as standard.

Sure it is more complex and more expensive to change. But it has better riding comfort, there are fewer chances of punctures and it has a self-repairing capability (i.e. the sealant can fill out small holes). I still carry inner tubes with me in case of extreme emergencies but to be honest, it's a bit of an overkill particularly for those shorter bike rides.

The list above does not mean that you should also get a gravel bike. Everyone is different so don't take the above as my way of convincing you to get one. Explore your options, learn from trusted sources, understand what you want to get out of a bike and take it from there.

But if you're anything like me, you might dream of having a variety of bikes for different purposes.

Imagine that...a showroom of bikes. I'd rather have that over a showroom of cars.