Aero
Gravel Bikes
The aero gravel bike category itself is reasonably new, however the more race-orientated carbon gravel bikes have had features that embody this classification for a number of years now.
As with their road bike counterparts, an aero gravel bike is simply a more aerodynamically biased version of the ‘standard’ model, often exhibiting features such as tube shapes designed to cut through the air with greater ease, and components such as aero gravel bars.
Deep section aero gravel wheels also have a large impact on the performance of a gravel bike, so racers looking to squeeze every drop of performance from their ride should look for a bike equipped with these.
An aero gravel frameset will likely borrow design features from the aero road bikes in a brand’s portfolio, using D-shaped seat tubes that closely hug the rear tyre. Reduced frontal area is also a common feature of these aero gravel frameset offerings, as it allows the bike to carve through headwinds with less effort required from the rider. Bladed forks that not only provide the wider tyre clearance that a gravel bike commands, but also has an increased aerodynamic benefit, allowing air to pass between the fork and the front tyre more easily.
Prominent models in the aero gravel bike category are the Orbea Terra Race and the Pinarello Dogma GR.