Uploaded April 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
If you're thinking about buying a gravel bike, stop right now and check whether it has at least 50mm of tyre clearance โ if it doesn't, Simon von Bromley thinks you shouldn't buy it!
Things are moving fast in the world of gravel riding, and while 40-45mm of clearance was considered plenty just a few years ago, that's now looking perilously outdated.
In this video, Simon sets out his case for XC tyres on gravel bikes, and why you should get a bike that gives you the option to go bigger, even if you're not convinced by this trend yet.
00:00 Intro
00:42 Gravel Bikes With Narrow Clearance Are Obsolete
02:43 It's Not Only Tyres That Are Getting Wider
04:00 Not Everyone Agrees, But That's Besides The Point
05:24 Don't Buy Into A Tech Dead End
Credits: Stuart Franklin / Staff
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BikeRadar is supported by Mountain Biking UK and Cycling Plus Magazine โFor more information and to subscribe please visit
๐ bit.ly/3nMr3Rn
For more content like this see our latest subscription offer โ
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If you're thinking about buying a gravel bike, stop right now and check whether it has at least 50mm of tyre clearance โ if it doesn't, Simon von Bromley thinks you shouldn't buy it!
Things are moving fast in the world of gravel riding, and while 40-45mm of clearance was considered plenty just a few years ago, that's now looking perilously outdated.
In this video, Simon sets out his case for XC tyres on gravel bikes, and why you should get a bike that gives you the option to go bigger, even if you're not convinced by this trend yet.
00:00 Intro
00:42 Gravel Bikes With Narrow Clearance Are Obsolete
02:43 It's Not Only Tyres That Are Getting Wider
04:00 Not Everyone Agrees, But That's Besides The Point
05:24 Don't Buy Into A Tech Dead End
Credits: Stuart Franklin / Staff
Listen to the BikeRadar Podcast
๐ bikeradar.com/bikeradar-podcast
Follow BikeRadar on our social media channels:
๐ instagram.com/bikeradar
๐ facebook.com/bikeradar
๐ twitter.com/bikeradar
BikeRadar is supported by Mountain Biking UK and Cycling Plus Magazine โFor more information and to subscribe please visit
๐ bit.ly/3nMr3Rn
For more content like this see our latest subscription offer โ
๐ cyclingplus.com/subscribe-today
๐ mbuk.com/subscribe-today
