Road and Gravel

Road or gravel? It's all a matter of practice and desired sensations, whether sporty or playful.

Designed primarily for speed and performance, road bikes aim to be light enough to go the distance or challenge the stopwatch. Gravel bikes are designed for endurance, versatility and riding comfort on a variety of terrain, from dirt roads to country roads; they are ideal for bikepacking and cycle touring.

Cyclocross requires resistant equipment, adapted to the constraints of the terrain and the intensity of the events.

Road et gravel

Mach1 expertise in this field

For both road and gravel, the characteristics of the wheels have a direct impact on the performance on the ground and the efficiency.

The current trend is towards wider tyres: 32 mm and more for gravel, up to 42, 45 or even 47 mm, compared to 30 or 32 mm maximum for road.

The search for aerodynamics on asphalt roads goes hand in hand with narrow rims, from 15 to 25C internal width, and rather high from 24 to 28 mm to reduce rolling resistance and aerodynamics; they are made of aluminium or carbon for competition.

In gravel, robustness and versatility are of prime importance: aluminium rims for disc brakes, with wide-section tyres, are best suited to ensure stability on rough terrain and good grip; tubeless is ideal for managing low tyre pressures.

On the spoke side, the light yet rigid double reduced-crossed section is a must, to optimise comfort on long rides.