Are gravel bikes a bit of a silly fad?
Maybe. Quite a fun one though. My thoughts on the gravel bike vs hardtail debate here.
What’s faster – a hardtail or a ‘gravel bike’?
Published by michellearthursbrennan
I'm an NCTJ Journalist and work at Cycling Weekly. Previous to this, I was the Editor at Total Women's Cycling. I've also dabbled in marketing and copywriting - having been Marketing Coordinator and Social Media/Content Editor at Evans Cycles. My first job was working on a local newspaper. I've written for a variety of titles on a freelance basis, too. I got into cycling when I entered my first triathlon in 2010. I now race crits, road races, time trials, and do a lot of track training for not very much track racing. View more posts
Michelle Arthurs-Brennan 
Either up or down, I’ll blow by a gravel bike on my s-works epic HT. And on flat stuff, I’ll stay with ’em just fine, and the whole time enjoy a lot more comfort for a lot more miles. At under 20#, with 100mm fork travel the gimmicky gravel bike doesn’t offer any advantages, and my light fast comfortable hardtail has many many advantages.
My orbea 29er hardtail is basically perfect for me. It is a 3 by 10 drivetrain which means I can climb anything and haul ass on the street, with a lockout fork as well. I have two wheel sets so I can tackle any terrain I plan on, efficiently. I love having just one bike that can do it all. Peace…