INTO THE WILD
Huge in America and with the potential for major growth this side of the pond. No, we’re not talking about the NFL or chlorinated chicken. We’re talking gravel bikes, the second biggest growth market in UK bike purchases after e-bikes.
Some of us have long dismissed gravel bikes as a jack of all trades, master of none, content with our road bike (with clip-on tri-bars), tri-specific number, and/or MTB for training and racing. And yet, given that triathletes often subscribe to the N+1 rule when it comes to bikes, should a gravel machine be your next two-wheeled purchase? Alternatively, if you only have room for one steed in your life, do gravel bikes tick the road and trail options well enough to perform both roles?
With the first gravel-bike triathlons taking place in America, we look at what the advantages are for UK triathletes by comparing the Boardman ADV 8.8 and the Pinnacle Arkose D2. It’s a battle between two of the most popular bike brands in the UK – £750 versus £1,025, and Sora versus Tiagra shifting. But, before we get started, just what is a gravel bike?
Firstly, the name’s a giveaway – its bread-and-butter’s off-road, be it
