What separates a gravel bike from a road or cyclocross bike
The shortest answer is tyre clearance. A modern gravel bike will take a 40mm tyre without complaining, and many will take up to 50mm. That width is the single biggest reason these bikes ride so well off tarmac. Wider tyres at lower pressures absorb the surface, stay planted on loose gravel, and save your wrists on long rides.
Beyond the tyres, the geometry is longer and slacker than a race road bike. The head tube is taller, the top tube is longer, and the bottom bracket sits a little lower. You sit more upright than on a road bike, which pays off over a four or five hour ride, but it costs you a little speed on smooth tarmac.
Cyclocross bikes look superficially similar but are different tools. They have tighter geometry, shorter wheelbases, higher bottom brackets for clearing obstacles, and rarely any provision for luggage. If the listing describes a bike as a cyclocross bike, assume it will be twitchier on long descents and will not take 45mm tyres.
Tyres and wheels, setting a gravel bike up for your riding
Tyre width is the dial that changes what a gravel bike can do, and most frames let you tune it. Around 35 to 40mm is fast and smooth for tarmac and light gravel. 40 to 45mm is the sweet spot for most UK riding, balancing comfort, grip and rolling speed. 45mm and wider gives real control on rough, technical ground. Because a frame with more clearance lets you change setup later, buying a bike with headroom to go wider is buying yourself options.
Wheel size matters too. 700c wheels roll faster and suit longer distances and road-biased riding, while 650b wheels take fatter tyres for more comfort and grip on rough terrain. A lot of gravel frames take both, so you can keep a fast 700c set for summer and a grippy 650b set for winter mud. On gearing, a 1x drivetrain keeps things simple and quiet with less to maintain, which is why it dominates gravel; a 2x adds range and smaller gaps between gears for road-heavy riding. Neither is wrong. It comes down to how much tarmac you actually ride.
Typical prices for gravel bikes on Cyclesite
The used gravel market starts at around seven hundred pounds. At this price you are looking at older aluminium bikes, often with cable-operated disc brakes and an entry Shimano or SRAM groupset. Most bikes in this band will have mechanical shifting and a 2x drivetrain. They work fine on anything short of technical singletrack.
Between a thousand and two thousand pounds the picture changes quickly. You see late-model aluminium and carbon frames from the big brands, hydraulic disc brakes across the board, 1x drivetrains from SRAM Apex or Shimano GRX, and thru-axles front and rear. A three-year-old GRX-equipped bike at this price point is often better value than anything new at similar money.
Two to four thousand pounds gets you genuine top-end carbon, frame bags included on many models, and either high-end mechanical or entry electronic shifting. Bikes in this range have often been bought by keen cyclists who actually looked after them. Ask for service records, particularly on the bottom bracket and headset, which see a lot of grit on gravel bikes.
At the top of the used market, four thousand pounds upwards buys lightly used flagship bikes from Specialized, Cervelo, 3T, Open, and the specialist gravel brands. Prices hold up well at this level because the underlying bikes are still close to new, and new-bike discounts in this segment are rare.
Mounts, bags and the luggage question
Most good gravel bikes have between three and seven bottle cage mount points on the frame, plus top tube, fork and sometimes rear rack mounts. If you plan to do longer rides, bikepacking, or anything beyond a standard road kit, check the listing photos carefully for bosses on the fork legs and under the top tube. An older bike missing these mounts is a harder bike to grow into.
Dropper posts are becoming more common on gravel bikes, particularly on the more mountain-bike leaning models. They are useful on rough descents and almost never get used on long road sections. If a bike you are looking at has a dropper post, ask whether the cable routing supports it natively or if it has been retrofitted with external cables.
Dynamo hubs are worth looking out for if the bike has any commuting history. A Son or Shutter Precision hub with a decent light is a five hundred pound upgrade new, and it is easy to miss on a used listing.
Popular gravel brands and what each is known for
Specialized Diverge and Trek Checkpoint are the two most common gravel bikes on the UK used market. Both have strong dealer networks, predictable resale values, and good parts availability. The Diverge has a proprietary front suspension system called FutureShock on higher models, which is polarising and worth test riding before you buy.
Cannondale Topstone, Giant Revolt and Canyon Grizl all sit in the middle of the market. Canyon in particular offers strong value new, and those bikes flow onto the used market in reasonable volume. Cannondale Topstones with the Kingpin flex stay are comfortable over long days but the stay bearing wears and can be fiddly to replace.
Fairlight, Mason, Rondo and Kona make smaller-volume gravel bikes with dedicated followings. These bikes hold their value well because the waiting lists for new bikes are long and owners tend to use them for years. Expect to pay closer to new prices on the used market for these.
At the premium end, 3T, Open and Allied sell frame-and-fork or complete bikes that are not common on the used market. Condition becomes critical at these prices. A scratched 3T Exploro still rides beautifully but the paint will cost a lot to put right.
Checking a used gravel bike before handing over the money
Gravel bikes live a hard life. Grit and water get into every bearing. Start with the bottom bracket. Pull the chain off the chainring, hold a crank in each hand, and try to wiggle them side to side. Any play is the bottom bracket, which is not an expensive part but is a faff to replace on some press-fit systems.
Check the headset next. Lift the front wheel, drop the bike a few inches, and listen for rattles. Hold the front brake on, stand over the bike, and rock it back and forth. Any knocking you feel through the bars is the headset. Usually that is just adjustment, but sometimes the bearings are pitted and need replacing.
Spin the wheels and watch the rim at the brake pads. Wobble means the wheel needs truing. Check the tyres for cuts and worn tread. Gravel tyres are a consumable and a replacement set of good ones will cost between seventy and a hundred and twenty pounds fitted.
Finally, look at the chainring teeth. Hooked teeth mean the drivetrain has done serious miles. On a 1x gravel bike, chainrings are relatively expensive and usually worth replacing as a set with the chain and cassette. Factor it in.
Buying, storing and insuring a gravel bike in the UK
Gravel bikes cope with British weather better than road bikes because the tyres and geometry forgive a rougher ride. They are not immune though. Rinse the bike off after muddy rides, wipe down the chain, and keep the bottom bracket area clean. Five minutes after each ride saves two hundred pounds in servicing every year.
Theft is a real concern for gravel bikes because they are fast, valuable and popular on the resale market. Avoid leaving them on the street. A Sold Secure Diamond or Gold rated lock, used at home in a shed with the bike locked to the structure, is the minimum sensible setup.
Every gravel bike listed on Cyclesite is checked against the UK's stolen-bike databases before the listing goes live. Always take your own photos of the frame number on collection. It is the one thing a thief cannot change easily, and it is the proof you need if the worst happens later.
