Gravel racers and adventure riders alike are starting to explore the benefits of fitting 2.2-inch (or about 56mm) tyres to their gravel bikes – bringing more grip, more comfort, more versatility and (in theory) more speed.
Gravel bike brands are cottoning on and releasing frames with clearance for these massive mountain bike tyres!
In this video, we list the top gravel bikes available today with clearance for mountain bike tyres, including an extra one/that’s? hiding in plain sight.
credit:
Taylor Chase / Life Time Grand Prix
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23 Comments
The problem with dropbar MTBs (including the Cutthroat) are the small chainring clearances (Cutthroat is 40T 1X). I'd rather have a 2.25 with a 46T or 48T chainring clearance. If someone makes a 2.4 with a 46T 1X clearance, I'm all in.
So canyon equipped the gavel with forks Grail CF SLX 8 w/ RIFT and the Grizzle:on. The grizzle is designed from the mtb department. We will have hard tails mtbs with dropbars. I had always pain in my arms from the straight bars and in 2017 was really thinking how i can install it on my xc bike but i never tried it.
Australian brand Curve were a decade in front of most brands.
Their Big Kev takes 2.35 and their GMX+ goes all the way to 3”
While I appreiciate the video, I have to take issue with the insistence that the bikes on the list had to "officially" clear 2.2 or 57mm. The whole idea of Gravel is to be experimental and unofficial. No rules, no regulations, no specs. If Dylan Johnson wants to cram a 2.2 in his Felt Breed .. good on him and that to me is the spirit of Gravel.
Soooooo stupid! The bike industry is trying to continue sucking everything they can out of the diminishing customer base. The only growing part of the bicycle industry are e-bikes and those customers do not want to ride these bikes.
Xc mtb, smash flat bar way out and way down,, neg 20 stem at least, add long inner mounted bar ends for some aero cruising, 10 x 51 12 spd rear cassette, 2.25 nobbies, rigid fork if you must, great for climbing, technical, cheap to run, and quick, larfin.
With 2.25" of clearance you can fit pretty much whichever mountain bike tire you like
-> Um, no. Almost no actual mountain bike comes with less than 2.35" these days. Just make the bikes boost, put boost cranks on them, make clearance for 2.6", and let people run what they like.
GRIND a polish bike brand, offer the model "FRANKY" a drop bar MTB for both that are interested
Sorry but gravel seems to turn into MTB, this is non-sense…. next step will be suspension ???? so funny…
Congrstulations, within the next few years gravel industry will come up with the idea of using flat bars 😂
I like to preserve the meaning of things. I even understand the trend toward larger tires on gravel bikes, but a gravel bike has to be a gravel bike. Using MTB tires on a gravel bike doesn't make sense to me, especially since I'm obsessed with keeping the weight as low as possible, lol. I use the Continental Terratrail 45mm, an excellent tire. It's very light, weighing 489g each. It rolls very easily on asphalt and also provides great safety on the terrain it was designed for: dirt, and indeed gravel. I believe it's the best gravel tire; it's worth trying.
for gravel rides that are so gnarly as to require 2+ in tyres, you want suspension. And that means a full suspension XC MTB will likely give you more comfort and therefore speed on such trails. Personally I ride my gravel on decent gravel / dirt roads road that only require ~40mm tyres. If I want to venture more off road, I just choose 'normal' MTB
I have gone the other way – flat bar gravel bike with suspension fork. It's quicker on semi-rough than my XC mountain bike, but gets a bit twitchy on the rougher stuff.
I ride 2.6" tires on my Surly Ghost Grappler for the last 2 years 😁
Just get a rigid mtb and run drop bars and stop trying to pretend you're still a roadie.
Just get a fat bike.. stop that discussion 🙂
I'm totally fine with 45mm tyre. This is the balance point I think. Fatter tyres are better for control and confidence but heavy and slower. 45mm is perfect all rounder.
Gravel isn’t turning into MTB. It’s evolving into its own thing: minimal suspension (front/rear only for comfort), way more aggressive geometry, aero frames/wheels, bigger chainrings (50T+), and mid-volume tyres (2.0–2.2). MTBs are built for tech and control, gravel race bikes are built for speed and ultra-endurance. Two completely different directions.
You miss the 3T Extrema Italia that can fit 57 mm easily. For drop bar MTB Lee Cougan and KTM have it in their catalogues and Trek drop it the new Check-out last week.
Storm Makai is TOP
Just get a proper XC bike. Lol
Ari Shafter 3.0 – 58mm tire clearence
If you need more than 2.0 it’s Hardtail territory.