As gravel bikes split into racing and adventure factions, we look forward to future tech trends
Gravel bikes are already becoming more disciplinespecific, aimed at either racing or adventure – what’s in store for 2023?
The popularity of all things gravel continued unabated in 2022, with a host of new bikes released from all of the big guns, as well as plenty of associated tech and clothing too. The growing level of specialisation found within gravel riding was reflected in much of this gear, with it becoming more segmented, tuned for the specific needs of gravel racers and gravel adventurers.
We saw the racing gravel bikes get lighter and more aerodynamically enhanced while the adventure bikes got burlier, with huge tyre clearances and integrated suspension.
So what’s in store for the new year ahead? Discipline-specific bikes and gear will persist as the gravel categories continue to mature and become more nuanced – but will this be to the detriment of the good old-fashioned all-rounder?
Classified kills off the front mech
A 1x set-up is simpler for gravel – as it is for mountain bikes – but can mean a considerable jump between gears if you are to achieve a sufficient range.
Classified’s Powershift hub sought to solve the issue of removing the front mech while still offering a sufficient gear range. The wireless system that’s housed in the rear hub is also designed to allow the rider to shift no matter the torque applied. It all added up to a piece of tech that seemed tailor-made for the rigours of gravel riding, albeit an expensive one.
With investors including Tom Boonen and a recent injection of cash to the tune of $23 million by the Active Partners group, the Belgian-based company will enter 2023 with plenty of momentum. We expect to see more gravel bikes offered with the Classified hub in 2023; in recent days we’ve seen the launch of Ridley’s all-new, all-road Grifn that includes an option equipped with a Shimano GR X Di2 1x groupset and a Classified hub.
More suspension
With an increasing number of gravel bikes being designed to handle extreme off-road conditions, as well as multi-day off-grid bikepacking jaunts, it was little surprise that mountainbike inspired suspension gained a solid foothold.
Specialized debuted its Future Shock front suspension as far back as 2017, while SR AM released its Rudy Ultimate XPLR fork in late 2021. We’ve also seen suspension stems and seatposts for the gravel sector, from Canyon’s leaf-spring VCLS post to RockShox’s suspension dropper post.
However, the end of last year saw perhaps the most significant development in the s
