MTB vs Gravel Bike | Which is best for Bikepacking?

For those of you saying Touring bike... :D https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1NDJZKyZDz0

Two low cost starter options - 90s steel framed hybrids are dirt cheap, robust, low geared and take tyres up to 42c, mine was £50 - low spec 29er hard tail, my GT was £90 3*8 allows 22T on front with 34T on rear. Not at all fashionable but I have done some great trips across Dartmoor on them. Of the two the hybrid is my favourite.

Almost like asking: “Is a chisel better than a hammer?” They’re both tools that do different things.

I'm converting a 1980s steel frame MTB into a tourer that can handle a bit of offroad. As for going fast, if I want to go fast I'll get in the van.

Let me know your preferred bike in the comments :) thanks for watching 🙏

I’ve both an MTB and a gravel and have bikepacked on both but for rough routes and/or when I’m loaded for camping I prefer the MTB. Comfier and far more capable when descending on anything other than tarmac/smooth gravel.

Great info. I've been looking at moving from my heavy steel touring bike to a gravel bike since, although I do tour a bit, most of my riding is just day to day. One gravel bike that may make a true all-rounder is the Giant Revolt X. It has 40mm front forks and a drop seat post with 30mm of suspension. Definitely not a low cost starter but looks very intriguing as a potential do-it-all. All the best from Atlantic Canada, eh!

Great video! I agree it totally depends on what kind of terrain you plan to ride, and whether you can afford multiple bikes. For me I ride almost exclusively off-road on rough terrain so the mountain bike makes a lot more sense.

When I first started thinking about travel with my bike I had a road bike and I got my touring bike a Dawes Super Galaxy triple chain set fullracks and panniers which was handy at all times as I did on call in a hospital and needed to carry a fair bit. I now have two road bikes, a gravel bike and two MTB. I would go touring on my road bikes and I did do the Great Glen Way on one of them. I then got my Gravel bike with 650b wheels and quite aggressive tyres for up here in Scotland they are a bit of a bind on tarmac so it does strictly gravel. The MTB’s are for winter the old one is a triple chain set and is pretty much an ornament. I was having it fully serviced and ended up buying a new MTB I forgot just how comfy they were and as you say the gears will go up anything and the tyres over anything and I’d probably be quite happy using it for off road touring. I also quite like the simplicity of just having a single chain set. Gravel and MTB are great up here in Scotland as out roads aren’t that great and even when I got my latest road bike which wears 32’s the difference for up here comfort wise was so much better. If I was however only going to have one bike to most things it would be a gravel bike ( don’t tell my ProjectOne Domane though)😂

Thank you for the review. I have both types and recently upgraded my MTB from Schwinn (Walmart yes I know hangs head low) to a Giant Yukon with Deore components. Like you said, I love the flexibility of the gravel bike and I do ride it in Winter months up to a certain extent before I have to put it away and get out my old steel commuter with the twist shifters (blah!) After a few years of this twist and pull, I bought a used Giant Yukon and am loving it. Best part is that it's an MTB and can take a beating on any surface. Since the Winter has been mild this year, I'm curious how the 26" tires handle snow since I struggled with anything above 6" on the ground. Speed isn't a concern on snow surface for me. Not like I'm racing anyone out there when I'm by myself lol.

Would prefer one of each😂 currently have a Cube e-mtb which I love and completed the Trans Pennine Trail on last summer. Planning the Yorkshire Dales Cycleway and a LEJOG soon-hence the interest in the gravel option!

I definitely agree it matters where and how you want to ride, for me drop bars are so much more comfortable for my hands-so I found a gravel bike that will take up to 700x50 tires and going to 650's would increase that clearance

I chose a touring bike. Recently bought a Giant Toughroad SLR2. Mountain Bike for stunts and enduro riding. A gravel bike for high-speed, semi-sporty off-road driving. And for traveling, it is better to have a comfortable fit, a long wheelbase for stability, and high reliability of the structure in order to hang equipment on it. Just my opinion.

Interesting I agree with most of what you said but I run 700x 45 on my titanium gravel bike and could go bigger, I have ridden it mostly off road all year and with the right tyres it pretty much copes with anything and I have a 36;46 gear set up which gets me up most things even at 67. I regularly ride in the lakes, and Yorkshire Dales on what would have been considered xc routes. That said I have been thinking about a hardtail like a Cotic Solaris, or a Moxie Sirius so I have the option of plotting some really rough routes where grip control and comfort become a factor. Also in that terrain overall speed is less important and probably going down hill you will clear obstacles better and go quicker. In winter you definitely need more kit especially if your are a bit more remote just from a safety and comfort perspective. I think the lines are blurring and some new bikes like those made by Pace offer drop bar, carbon fork or flat bar / 120mm fork for the same frame. Also you can hoon around local trails on the suspension bike. I am waiting to see if my bank balance allows for an extra bike as already have , road, full suspension and gravel bike but deep down I would like another.

Nice presentation Tom and I used a Ridgeback hybrid when I did the Coast 2 Coast. Great for clocking up the miles on the tarmac but murder on my arms going cross country. I'll be doing the King Alfred Way on my MTB in May because, as you say, the front suspension will protect my hands and wrists. Cheers.

Excellent video mate! I'm hoping the industry comes up with an "affordable " suspension gravel bike at some point. That, or I have to buy an mtb and tweak it to be faster..

I have a bike that does the heavy and the easy stuff: Idworx All Rohler. But everbody should decide what works the best. Happy trails!

I've chosen a bike, and it has 26x4.80" tires. More known as "fat bike". I live in Sweden and we have that white stuff on the ground called "snow" some months every year. I don't have any other bikes than fat bikes, simply because I don't want skinny tires or narrower than 3.80". For bike packing, a fat bike is in my opinion the best choice because you can ride it all year no matter what terrain. We all are different, my choice may not be the same as your. Besides that, I enjoy bike packing videos no matter what bike is used because I am interested to see what other bike packers have in their bags (gear, camping stuff and so on).

Literally just today traded my gravel bike in for a hard tail MTB it just wasn't capable enough and uncomfortable on anything rougher than a smooth towpath and sketchy af in damp muddy conditions.

The second set of (smaller, better rolling) tyres on an MTB will do for road touring/bikepacking. Regular 29er can fit any gravel tyre just fine. With those, speed is identical to gravel, counting all the stuff we carry with us.