Gravel riding has become the most thrilling corner of cycling. What started as a niche pursuit for adventurous amateurs has transformed into a fully professional racing circuit, and the equipment has advanced right alongside it.
Early gravel race machines were little more than road bikes fitted with a bit more tyre room and slightly adjusted geometry. That approach has largely disappeared over the past couple of seasons. Today’s gravel bikes offer enormous clearance, driven by the understanding that grip, composure and the ability to shed mud are what actually win races.
Meanwhile, 32-inch wheels are quietly gaining momentum in gravel, mirroring what’s happening in cross-country mountain biking. Most manufacturers are treading carefully with the bigger wheel size, largely because component options remain limited, but a growing number of 32-inch gravel bikes are now hitting the market.
On another front, riders tackling ultra-distance gravel events are calling for machines built for the long haul, and suspension is increasingly part of that conversation.
These days, it feels like a new gravel bike is unveiled every week, each one lighter, quicker or more versatile than the last, almost always with more tyre clearance. Here are five recent releases that have us intrigued about where gravel bike design is heading.
Scott Addict Gravel
Where many rivals have chased aerodynamic gains with their newest gravel offerings, Scott chose to prioritise low weight instead. The latest Addict Gravel sheds 75g compared to its predecessor, bringing the HMX frameset to a claimed 794g, with a top-spec size M build tipping the scales at a claimed 7.8kg.
The frame is also less rigid, which Scott claims improves traction, and it gains a fresh cockpit featuring a forward sweep and drop shapes contoured to fit the palms.
Tyre clearance has grown considerably to 57mm, while both stack and reach have been stretched, matched with shorter stems. Bottom bracket drop is greater and fork rake has been increased, yet the chainstays stay at a road-like 425mm despite all that extra room.
Scott has tucked a tool kit inside the down tube and stashed additional tools in the bar ends. There are matching bags available too, plus fork-leg mounts that deviate from the usual placement, shifting the load further back for improved handling.
Interestingly, there’s no 32-inch wheel variant of the Addict Gravel, even though Robin Gemperle rode a prototype to victory at this year’s Unbound XL.
Factor Elara
If Scott avoided the aero route, Factor went the opposite direction with the Elara. This bike succeeds the Ostro Gravel and, according to Factor, delivers aerodynamic performance comparable to road bikes.
It’s another gravel machine built around 57mm tyres while retaining short chainstays, here measuring 423mm. Reach is longer than the Ostro Gravel’s, but trail has been reduced, and it features a wide-stance fork similar to the one found on Factor’s One aero road bike.
Despite the generous clearance, the Elara can run 2x as well as 1x drivetrains, and in-frame storage keeps bulky spares tucked away. Black Inc, Factor’s in-house component arm, provides a new cockpit along with 64mm-deep wheels featuring a 30mm internal width to complement the Elara.
Winspace G5
Winspace belongs to a growing wave of Chinese brands making waves among Western riders. Its G5 aero gravel racer costs roughly half what established brands charge. It also offers in-frame storage and substantial clearance, edging past Scott and Factor by 1mm with 58mm up front, though rear clearance sits at 53mm.
Winspace states an unpainted size-M frame weighs 950g, and a frameset retails for just £1,650 / $2,200 / €1,933. Complete builds with carbon wheels and a Winspace Adventure one-piece carbon cockpit range from $4,799 with GRX RX825 Di2 up to $5,999 with Force XPLR AXS. For an additional $500, you can fit a RockShox Rudy Ultimate XPLR fork with 30mm of travel.
Mosaic GT i55 32
While Scott has held back on 32-inch wheels, Mosaic Cycles has fully committed to them with its titanium gravel bike. Mosaic says the bike was engineered from scratch around 32-inch wheels, rather than adapting an existing 700c frame as it suggests other brands do.
The company believes it has addressed the usual drawbacks of larger wheels: taller stack, longer wheelbase, more toe overlap and extended chainstays. In exchange, 32-inch wheels deliver better rollover on rough terrain, more momentum and enhanced stability.
A new carbon fork helps bring stack down and provides 55mm tyre clearance. A curved seat tube and 3D-printed chainstay yoke keep chainstay length at 445mm or under while preserving a standard gravel chainline despite the Boost axle spacing.
Quirk Kegety
Mosaic plans to shift its gravel bike from custom to small-batch production in the future, but London-based Quirk Cycles already operates on a small-batch model with stock geometry for its steel Kegety gravel bike.
Built from Columbus Life steel with a 3D-printed head tube, seat cluster and dropouts, it’s a machine aimed squarely at gravel adventuring, derived from owner Rob Quirk’s bike created for the inaugural Silk Road Mountain Race.
Tyre clearance stands at 50mm, and Quirk pairs it with an ENVE gravel cockpit and fork plus a Chris King headset. The Kegety frameset is priced at £4,999, with complete builds starting from £10,550.
