Gravel Gear

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Gravel bikes help you spice up road rides with dirt roads, trails, and even a little singletrack. Here are our four favorite bikes from 2016.

Appleman's custom bike is a fantastically complicated machine that brings riding back to its simplest form: Get on, pedal, go anywhere.

Exclusive to VeloClub Insiders, Neal Rogers writes the story behind the story of tracking down ex-World Champion Roland Green, speaking with ex-training partners and competitors, and how the feature came to fruition.

Roland Green dominated the mountain bike world in 2001 and 2002, winning two world titles, the World Cup series overall, and the NORBA series title. After injury and suspension, he retired following the 2005 season and disappeared, seemingly cutting all ties from the cycling world. We set out find out where he is today, and why he completely stepped away from the sport he loved.

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The Blue Norcoss EX is a dependable racer with an almost-excellent build

Clement’s PDX tubular tires are made for mixed-condition courses replete with wet and muddy features.

Foundry's Flyover is a unique 'cross race bike, built from titanium, offering confident handling, a solid parts spec, and respectably light weight.

For a supple, smooth ride, Dugast Typhoon all-around ‘cross tubulars are hard to beat.

For the deep, sloppy muck, Dugast’s Rhino cotton tubulars are the tires for you.

Specialized’s Terra tubulars look mean and aggressive with big, chunky knobs spaced far apart across the tire’s tread.

Specialized’s versatile Tracer tubulars work for a wide range of conditions. They roll quickly on smooth ground but tackle corners with plenty of grip.

The Grifo side knobs don’t offer much bite, so you’ll need greater skill when you hit loose corners or have to scamper down off-camber descents.

Vittoria’s Cross Evo XN tubulars were created for dry, non-technical ‘cross courses where speed, not traction, is the ultimate goal.

Challenge’s Chicane tubulars offer are a more versatile take on file tread ‘cross tires thanks to meaty side knobs.

Clement’s MXP tubulars tackle a wide range of conditions and variable surfaces.

The Clement LAS tubulars float over hard-pack or asphalt thanks to the smooth file tread down the center of the tire.

Dugast's Pipisquallo tires are made for very specific course conditions like Koksijde, Belgium’s sand dunes or Cross Vegas’s grassy circuit.

Hutchinson calls its Toro tubular a mud tire but the low, fast rolling tread makes it a better all-around option for mixed conditions.

Whether your ‘cross course is covered in muddy ruts or it just has a couple slick sections, Challenge has a tubular for you with the Limus and Baby Limus.

Jamis's Supernova Elite has a reasonable price tag and durable component package. It's great even when 'cross season has come and gone.

Cannondale's SuperX is aggressive yet stable and race-ready out of the box. It’s not the perfect cyclocross racing bike, but it’s darn close.

The new Crankbrothers Candy 7 pedals offer the simplicity and elegance of of the company's previous models with better durability and stability.

A aerodynamic gravel bike? Yep, 3T has announced the new Exploro, and if its claims hold up, it might make sense for some racers.

The Kona Sutra is a go-anywhere explorer, capable of so much more than a spin around dirt roads or a pedal down your favorite gravel trail.

Salsa was one of the first companies to embrace gravel riding, and the Warbird only bolsters its dedication to this relatively new category.

Pivot has created a light, full-carbon, thru-axle dirt-road machine that could double as a cyclocross bike.

Cannondale intends to provide a versatile bike to riders who dabble in dirt, but don't expect Slate to be as speedy as a pure road bike.

'Cross racing has very specific demands — here are three pieces of apparel that meet those needs and can even do a bit more.

A race bike at a fair price point, the Boone offers comfort, stiffness, and an excellent overall design, despite a few imperfections.

Felt's F1X is a great bike for the cyclocross race course, but it isn't quite as maneuverable as we'd like it to be.

Cannondale's SuperX Hi-Mod has a great frame design for 'cross racing, but a few of its kit choices left us scratching our heads.

A pro-level racer with a mid-level price tag, the Crux Pro Race is as stiff as they come yet manages comfortable ride quality.

Suspension seeps into new markets as riders are spotted riding Lefty forks on drop-bar bikes outside of competition.

The Cross Sanremo Speedsuit is versatile and warm, but don’t throw out your other skinsuits just yet

The French tire maker successfully borrows from the mountain bike experience with its cyclocross offering

These brilliantly designed rings might be one of the best innovations in shifting in years

Syncros' new saddle is simple and low profile, and our reviewer concludes it would be best used on a mountain or cyclocross bike

Shimano's new ’cross-specific disc brake calipers perform great across conditions and are easy to install and adjust

While Clement's new tubular cyclocross tire is spendy, it excels across conditions

The Velo tech crew reviews three cyclocross bikes ranging from entry-level to cutting-edge

New wheels from Hed, Cole and Rolf Prima put to the test

Challenge Limus vs. Specialized Terra CX tubulars

A look at the Salsa Vaya Ti that Nick Legan used for the 200-mile Dirty Kanza race. UPDATED with Kanza video.

Lennard takes a look back at the cyclocross brakes that worked for him during the season

The Fondriest Cross Carbon reviewed — smooth frame, annoying fork and lots of F words from the reviewer

After a decade of tubeless innovation for mountain bikes the guys at Stan’s notubes turned their attention this year to wheels for road and ‘cross.

Avid Shorty Ultimate brakes: Getting pretty close to 'cross braking perfection

Ben Delaney takes a look at TRP’s new mini V-brake and says he's never found cyclocross braking so simple.

VeloNews' Matt Pacocha picks out three solid choices for a broad spectrum of conditions.

Editor's Note A version of this review first ran in VeloNews.com last December, too late for most cyclocross racers to make tire buying decisions for the race season. Matt has reviewed the information to make sure it is still relevant, and re-written parts. Watch for Matt's review of some new Vittoria cyclocross tubulars soon — and look for the VeloNews issue containing the US Gran Prix of Cyclocross Guide on newsstands October 1.