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There are few things more enjoyable than hitting the road on a bike and carving a path through all types of terrain.
Not only can it be incredibly exhilarating and allow you to achieve some seriously high speeds, but it is also a wonderful form of exercise that can help to get your heart pumping and get your body moving!
The only trouble is only some bikes are suited for certain types of terrain.
Some are suited for use on city roads, while others are designed to be used on dirt terrain that is slightly more rough and uneven.
Finding the perfect bike for the terrain you will be crossing can be an endeavor unto itself!
Are you looking for a perfect offroading bike that can handle just about any terrain?
Then you will want to get yourself a gravel bike!
Luckily, you don’t have to spend massive amounts of money because today, we are going to show you some of the best gravel bikes under $1500 for offroading adventures!
Read on down below to get started!
Before we dive into the best of the best, let’s first clear up exactly what we mean when we say ‘Gravel bike’.
A gravel bike is a type of offroading bike with drop-bar handles that is purpose-designed to handle even the roughest and most uneven of terrain.
Gravel bikes tend to have much wider tires than ordinary bikes, which in turn gives them more grip and traction.
These bikes make it easier to remain comfortable as you ride over even bumpy terrain and also help you to achieve and maintain high speeds even in areas where standard bikes may have trouble finding and maintaining traction.
The manufacturing geniuses at Giant have designed this perfect offroading gravel bike that can easily take on even the toughest of terrain, and see you easily cross even the strangest of outdoor environments.
The first thing worthy of mentioning is how incredibly sleek and slender this bike looks, despite its incredible capabilities, and its ability to see you across terrain that would ordinarily pose a massive challenge.
The frame itself is very slender, which gives it a very subtle and unassuming appearance.
This is also helped by the rich blue color that it boasts, which gives it a flash of sophistication!
But don’t worry, just because this bike is remarkably thin, it does not mean that it's not able to take on the challenges you put it up to!
The entire frame is made from top-spec alloy, which gives it a sense of durability that is practically unrivaled.
As well as that, the wheelbase itself is much longer, which helps to improve stability in the long run.
This means that the bike will not only last much longer, across many years of use, but it will also remain in an upright position with far greater ease, making it easy to maintain your balance as you ride the bike over all kinds of difficult and challenging terrain.
And when it comes to comfort, this bike can certainly make any ride much smoother.
The seat itself boasts a flattened section, which is designed to dampen all vibrations so that you won’t find yourself becoming strained and tired by vibrations as you ride.
We also loved how easy it was to adjust the seat at a moment’s notice, to maximize comfort, and to adjust it to different types of ground.
Losing control of this bike as you ride around is not even a possibility, thanks to its intense focus on handling.
The bike features a short chainstay, much shorter than you would find on your average bike, and this means that it is able to give you a greater sense of control over the pace at which you move, without becoming totally tired out!
This is further helped by the fact that the flip chip at the rear of the bike can easily be adjusted to allow for better control or greater acceleration.
We could easily wax lyrical about this bike for hours, but we need to mention the fact that it features quite a hefty price tag that, while it may still be under $1,500 is still very significant, so you will want to make sure that it is definitely the right one for you!
Marin is well known for producing numerous budget-friendly off road bikes that have become easy favorites thanks to how incredibly affordable they are.
The bike features everything you would expect from a good gravel bike, and looks remarkably classical, but also features a number of very modern features that make the experience of using it a total pleasure.
The Marin Nicasio 700C features a very slender design that allows it to easily look the part no matter where you choose to ride it.
Though the bike is definitely designed for use in off road settings and is best suited for handling rough terrain off the beaten track, its light blue frame means it wouldn’t look totally out of place in a metropolitan city.
The frame itself is constructed out of strong steel, so you know that the bike will be able to stand up to whatever it faces.
This steel also helps to aid in balance, as the frame of the bike is intelligently designed to not only maximize comfort but also to make it easier to keep your balance held in the center.
The thickness of the tires is around 30 millimeters, which is incredibly thick and makes it easier to stay upright even as the terrain becomes disadvantageous.
The tires themselves also feature a very unique design that allows them to power through even the roughest of surfaces, giving you extra grip, which allows you to more easily power through your bike rides, and maintain higher speeds without totally tiring yourself out!
However, we did find that the tires of this bike had slightly more trouble maintaining a grip on wetter surfaces.
This made it slightly more difficult to ride the bike in the rain, or in areas with more moisture than usual.
Before deciding on this bike, you will want to make sure to consider where you plan on riding your bike, and whether you might need a bike better suited to wet weather.
This bike does, however, feature a very narrow chainring, which really helps to ensure that the chain remains firmly in position no matter what kind of terrain you find yourself on.
This means you won’t have to worry about it popping off while riding in difficult terrain, leaving you reattaching it for countless minutes.
However, this narrower chainring comes at the cost of not being able to access lower gears, which can make it slightly harder for certain riders to make full use of.
If speed is one of your major concerns when it comes to gravel bikes then you will definitely want to pay attention to this masterfully designed bike from State Bicycle.
Whether you choose to ride this bike off-road or on-road, you will easily glide along, so easily you will almost feel like you are flying!
This bike is incredibly high-performance and makes it easy to achieve and maintain high speeds, so you can easily carve yourself a path through even the most challenging of terrain without even breaking a sweat.
The lightweight aluminum frame makes the bike easy to move from trail to trail and also makes it easy to walk across slightly more uneven surfaces without trouble!
Despite being so lightweight, however, you can also depend on this bike to remain durable throughout the day and support your weight no matter what.
Even on the bumpiest of trails, this bike won’t give an inch, and you won’t find it shifting under you and throwing you off your stride!
You can also easily choose between different sets of wheels for the bike!
There’s an option for more ‘slick’ tires, which are able to make short work of more even terrain so that you can achieve and maintain a high speed.
There is also a set of more textured tires, which make it easy to achieve a tight grip on more uncertain terrain.
However, once again, with this bike, you will want to make note of the fact that the chainring is very narrow, which of course, makes it easier to achieve and maintain higher speeds, but does significantly rescue the number of gear options that you have.
This can make the bike slightly more difficult to ride around on steeper terrain such as mountains and steep hills.
So, now that we have looked at some of our absolute favorite gravel bikes that can be purchased for under $1,500, you’re likely feeling ready to dive in and purchase one for yourself.
If so, great! However, before you make your all-important choice, there are a few things you are going to need to consider before making such a significant purchase!
Of course, you are going to want to make sure that you are paying the right price for any gravel bike that you purchase.
Not only do you want to make sure that the price is below $1,500, but you will also want to make sure that you are not paying too little.
Some gravel bikes can be incredibly expensive and have price tags that well exceed $1,500, and this is often because such bikes have extra features and customizability options that more affordable bikes may not.
However, you will want to consider whether such extra features are of any value to you, as you do not want to spend too much on features that you will not make use of, as it would be a significant waste of money.
You also don’t want to spend too little on the perfect gravel bike.
Of course, there’s no need to pay more than $1,500 for a gravel bike, but you may find that the cheapest gravel bikes are of much lower quality, and don’t offer the durability and ease of control that a more expensive premium model can.
If you ever come across a gravel bike for an incredibly low price, make sure to verify whether it is of good quality and that it is made from the right materials that will hold up to strain.
One of the most important things to consider when buying the perfect gravel bike is the materials that have gone into constructing it.
A perfect gravel bike should make use of high-quality materials such as steel that are light enough for the bike to be easy to transport but also strong and durable enough to allow the bike to stand up to scrutiny as you ride.
Of course, materials can also affect the cost of any good gravel bike, so this is another reason that you will want to carefully consider the materials that make it up.
And don’t just check the frame of the bike!
Make sure to also check the materials that are used to create the tires, as you will want to make sure that they make use of the right kind of rubber.
Not only do you want to make sure that the tires you choose are made from high-quality materials, but you will also want to make sure that they are capable of handling the job.
Check to make sure that the tires have the right texture to give you the grip you need on certain terrain and also that the wheelbase width is thick enough.
Thicker wheelbases will be able to make shorter work of uneven off-road terrain, so you will definitely want to take advantage of that where possible.
However, you may also want to check that your chosen tires are not too thick.
If you are planning on riding your gravel bike on slightly more even terrain, then you may want more narrow wheels, as this will help you to achieve greater speeds.
You will also want to make sure that the bike you are choosing is able to accommodate your body so that you can maximize your comfort as you ride.
This helps to ensure that you are able to ride for much longer.
If you plan to go out on some serious biking excursions, then you will want to make sure that comfort is paramount.
Check for gravel bikes with comfortable seats that will support your weight and also absorb vibrations and shock, as these will help to support you even on the worst surfaces, keeping you from straining and allowing you to ride for much longer!
There we have it! Those are just a few of the very best gravel bikes available on the market today, but they are definitely amongst the absolute best.
We have no doubt that at least one of these bikes will give you what you need and that they will last for many years of frequent use.
Finding the perfect gravel bike can be a difficult and tiring endeavor, but we hope that this list has helped you to come a little bit closer to choosing your dream gravel bike!
You might also be interested in: The 6 Best Full Suspension Mountain Bikes Under $2,000
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