Trek checkpoint sl 7 £6,400 | 8.9kg

Canyon’s carved out a reputation for high-performance bikes at a good price, driven by both German precision and know-how and a direct-to-consumer (DTC) retail model that cuts out the middleman to kee

Weight 8.3kg (58cm with SmartSense, 2x bottle cages, StashPort storage bags) Frame and fork LAB71 Hi-Mod carbon fibre Groupset SRAM Red XPLR AXS with power meter (44t, 10-46t) Wheels Reserve 42|49 TA

With gravel bikes becoming ever more tech-laden and reaching astronomical five-figure prices, could it be that the sport is getting too exclusive? We looked towards the other end of the scale to see i

Weight 9.70kg (56cm) Frame Carbon fibre Fork 3T Fango Extrema Integrale, carbon fibre Groupset SRAM Rival eTap AXS/GX Eagle AXS Transmission (10-52t) Brakes SRAM Rival eTap AXS Wheels Zipp 303 S Tyres

The SuperX name has heritage within the Cannondale brand. It first appeared in 2010 attached to a dedicated cyclocross bike, but in 2021 the original SuperX was replaced by the SuperSix Evo SE and CX.

Weight 11.42kg (L) Frame Aluminium alloy Fork Carbon fibre Groupset Shimano GRX RX400, 10-speed Wheels WTB ST i23 TCS rims on Novatec hubs Tyres WTB Riddler, 700c x 45mm Finishing kit Focus alloy hand