Cheap thrills
Marin Nicasio + £865 Budget-busting gravel machine
For the second year running, gravel riding is the current king of road bike trends. However, as with all trends, we tend to focus on the premium end of the market and its innovations, such as suspension systems (Specialized and Cannondale), ultra-light builds (3T and Open), electronic drivetrains (SRAM and Shimano have both gone gravel) and even competition victories for gravel events, such as the epic Dirty Kanza. Gravel, however, is the one road-based genre where pro-grade equipment has little affect on the fun of riding. Gravel is more about the enjoyment of the ride; conquering the terrain, surface and topography are far more import than power output, aerodynamics or Strava kudos.
So, forget about lightweight carbon wheels, Di2 and AXS
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