Originally Posted by
wphamilton
Is a "gravel bike" just a more sturdily built CX bike with relaxed geometry and big tires? If so sure it can be a good road bike but it will likely be heavier and more difficult to get really aero so I think that some tradeoffs are inevitable compared with road bikes.
Some of the frames are a bit heavier than a typical road bike, but we're not talking about a huge difference. Once slicks are subbed for the knobbies they're, for the most part, endurance road bikes. Could a racing-oriented frame be set up more aero? Quite often, sure, but the rider also has to be able to take advantage of that more aggressive set-up, which is far from a given. So, can they be good road bikes? Undoubtedly. Can they be good crit bikes? No, they wouldn't be ideal.