Gravel Bike Buying Guide for Complete Beginners

I recently decided it was time to upgrade my “vintage” road bike. Comment / Message me to get my cheat sheet with all the info. It’s been a great bike, but it was too small for me, had V-brakes, skinny tires, and honestly didn’t feel quite solid enough for the state of the roads in Whistler these days… or for the riding adventures I want to do in the future. 🚴‍♀️I went on a gravel bike quest. So. Much. To. Learn.⁉️ In this video I tried: ✅ Giant Revolt 0 - did not try but wish I did, tried the Liv instead ✅ Liv Devote Advanced 2 ✅ Devinci Hatchet Vista GRX 610 ✅ Trek Checkpoint SL 5 AXS Gen 3 - the one I bought and LOVE ✅ Giant Revolt X Advanced Pro 0 ✅ Orbea Terra H40 I ended up buying the Trek Checkpoint Carbon with electronic shifting - SL 5 AXS Gen 3 * Here’s some of what I learned: 1️⃣ 1x vs 2x drivetrain matters more than I realized. I went with 1x. From what I understood, 2x tends to be more for racing and speed-focused riding. 2- Tire clearance is a thing. Most bikes came with 42 tires, but you want room to go bigger — 50 or even 55 — if you plan on longer adventures or rougher terrain. 3- Carbon isn’t just about weight. I could really feel the difference in vibration and comfort. Even a carbon fork makes a noticeable difference. 4 Electronic shifting is incredible. Less finicky and way more reliable than I expected… although definitely an investment. 5-Custom fitting matters. I’m 5’5” and ended up on a small with some adjustments at the shop and more with a pro afterwards. 6- The bike shops matters a lot because you want to be comfortable going back for fittings etc. I’m 51 and buying this bike for the future. I wanted something reliable, solid, fast, and fun. A bike that will hopefully take me through the next 10+ years of riding and adventures. I’m definitely not an expert, just a beginner sharing the process, but I hope this helps if you’re starting your own gravel bike search. More videos coming soon. Let me know if you have questions. Xox Thank you for subscribing ⚡️ Need help with social media? Reach out! www.catherineaird.ca ⚡️ BEST SOCIAL MEDIA ONLINE COURSE: WWW.CATHERINEAIRD.CA 🔰 Free Resources: Blog: https://catherineaird.ca/blog/ Instagram Lifestyle:   / catherineaird   Instagram Business:   / catherineairdsocialmedia   Facebook:   / catherineairdsocialmedia   🔰