The capitalist machine doesn’t stop just because it's the Sabbath, and Cyber Monday Cycling Deals are still live and moving fast. Hang on, does that mean this is the Black Sabbath, or Cyber Sunday? Who knows?
Whilst we hover in this moment of search-intent-shopping-uncertainty, what we do know is that we’re seeing more of the direct brands cutting prices as we move gently but decisively from Black Friday into the real-deal-bike-bonanza of Cyber Monday.
That doesn’t mean there aren’t bargains today, however, if you hunt them down, so this weekend we've done the hard work for you, and I'm pleased to say today could still be the best time to grab one.
Prices are holding, but they won't hang around for long. These are the best fast-moving gravel bike deals I’ve found this weekend.
Ribble CGR / Gravel Range (available in the UK)
Ribble and versatile bikes have been synonymous since time began. So they know a thing or two about designing bikes that do more than one thing, and the CGR is the best example of that.
Standing for ‘commute, gravel, road’ the CGR range is a do-it-all package that is pretty unbeatable in terms of value, and the variety of use cases this bike will deliver on.
We’re used to seeing hyper-segmentation in bike marketing: gravel-race, adventure-gravel, all-road, when really the CGR doesn’t just span those categories in a jack-of-all-trades master-of-none kind of way, it will in fact work just as a well as any of the specialist stuff, most of the time.
Why buy one?
Ribble have a direct consumer model that means they hit prices no one else can touch. They’ve also been at it a very long time, so they know which vendors to use to get the result they need in terms of how the bike works, and for the numbers on their spreadsheets. That’s the reality they work in and there’s few brands better at it. In recent years, a ton of new investment into the brand has seen them make huge strides in terms of the customer experience too, so you don’t have to feel like you’re compromising by going direct.
Canyon Grail and Grizl (UK and USA)
Canyon have a bit of stealth sale going on very decent discounts across both Grizl and Grail ranges. I’ve had a Grizl in for test all summer and I don’t want to give it back: it’s been my pub bike; I’ve used it to ride to my part time job; and I’ve even taken it to Kelling Heath and ragged it around the mountain bike trails up there. There’s some routes here along the coast and through pine trees, on sandy tracks and marshes and it’s eaten all of it, and has been a huge motivator for my riding this year. It’s got storage in the frame and chunky, purposeful design that puts me in the mind of a mountain bike and that’s no bad thing, because it’s capable enough on the road to be a pleasure to pedal in a road context, then it’s rowdy and happiest when you leave the tarmac – it’s brilliantly versatile.
Which one would I buy?
Grail is the racier of the two, and is the one to go for if you’re looking for more of an all-road solution, or if you’re looking for outright speed, on less technical trails. I’d take the chunkier, funkier, go anywhere Grizl for everything from Bikepacking with your mates to Unbound or Trakka.
Specialized - Diverge (UK and USA)
The Diverge is one the most comfortable, confidence inspiring carbon gravel bikes out there. Futureshock is a great piece of comfort tech giving you some bounce at the front, providing you look after it, and there’s a Diverge for every pocket almost, with alloy options which ride beautifully and don’t give much away to the carbon models.
Specialized’s Black Friday / Cyber Monday hub shows free shipping and some really good mark downs across the Diverge family, in loads of colours and mixed sizes. The price tracking pages are highlighting competitive pricing on the current Diverge Sport and Expert builds too.
Why buy now?
There’s just some very good deals on what is a pretty special bike. It’s arguably more conventional looking than the Canyon Alternatives, but Specialized really do know what they’re doing, and the Diverge is one of the best examples of them at their best. For the Black Friday and Cyber Monday weekend period, you don’t have to pay more for that experience.
Cannondale Topstone
I love a Cannondale. So often they’ve been marked down in reviews over the years because they’ve brought some whacky idea to market, and had to pay for it in downgrades on the groupset, or elsewhere on the spec sheet, and as a result they struggled to hit top marks against competitors which seem to offer more on the spec sheet.
That means a Cannondale in a sale can be your very best five-star buy everytime. They just struggle in grouptests when other brands take the easier route and seem to offer better value.
Want a Lefty suspension fork for no reason other than a Saab like commitment to do it right and differently, and Cannondale have got your back. The truth is though, the Topstone is long standing cracker, with excellent ride quality and a quirky spec that doesn’t make it stand out for being more expensive this weekend. Here in the Cyber Monday seasonal crush, it’s like everyone has it on sale.
The bike is perfect for endurance gravel riding and bike packing and today you can pick one up on a very decent markdown at REI, Dick’s Sports Goods and plenty of other specialist dealers.
Which one to buy?
Topstone 3 is showing the biggest markdowns, where you’re going to get most Topstone per dollar spent. Plenty are offering good prices, but I’ve seen several with free returns (so you can try the bike at home) and some good finance deals flashing up.
Don’t forget some retailers are also offering discount codes, and further offers subject to simple tasks like signing up for their news letter, so do take advantage and code stack your way to a cheaper Topstone where you can.
Salsa Warbird (USA, Frameset and builds)
How do you know a cyclist rides a Salsa? Don’t worry, they’ll tell you.
I was stoked to find this bike on sale. It’s their race orientated carbon gravel bike: light, lively and very adaptable for rough races or fast bike packing.
We needed to look a bit harder to find the real deals on this one, but there’s some great offers on framesets, and if you’re prepared to do the shopping, you can compound your discounts on other items like wheels and groupsets, and bag yourself a very fancy build project for not a lot of money this weekend.
Why buy?
This one is really about a dream build winter project. Get a decent deal on this frameset now and do your own build, with a selection of other discounts compounding your benefit, and you’re going to be getting something really special to distract you from all this rubbish weather. The result will be far more individual, and it’s going to kill it when you get the bikes out again in the Spring.
Giant Revolt / Revolt Advanced
Revolt is a bit of an institution round these parts. I unboxed one last week and was struck but just how much you’re getting for the money with Giant, and the Revolt is the best example of that. It also has really pretty special paint for a bike at this price point, with the one I had in my hands coated in a deep metallic black with gold detailing. Many far more expensive bikes just aren’t finished nearly so well. That view runs pretty hard against the common perception of a Giant bike.
It’s refined, very well finished, it’s as good as an all-road option as it is as an out and out gravel bike. No nonsense, but definitely not just a sensible option in the case of the Revolt.
Why buy now?
Giant has a ton of dealers in the UK who are moving stock on ahead of the new season. There’s some killer bike deals, but this is the best I’ve found, and it won’t hang around long.
With 38mm tyres this bike comes ready for road or gravel and at just over a grand must be one of the best value gravel bikes on sale today.
Pros
- Comfortable ride
- Surprisingly fast on tarmac
- Stable handling
Cons
- Not much of a looker
- Tyres could be better
3T Racemax
I have a soft spot for the 3T Exploro Racemax. 3T was one of the first to develop an aero-styled racing gravel platform, and I was fortunate enough to ride one of the very first models at 3T near Milan.
One lunchtime, after a meeting with a lovely man called Reiner who was the boss at the time, I rolled out of their factory on a white Racemax – just like the one in this deal in terms of colour and specifications – and joined some 3T team members for a lunchtime ride along the river. The towpath was chalky and rutted, making it an ideal setting for a first taste of this kind of bike, and I was hooked on gravel bikes from that moment.
Several years on, and Exploro has continued to evolve.
I currently have the top-spec new version in for testing, and will report on it very soon, but I can say it has lost none of its charm. Its looks, with a boxy-aero aesthetic, are now much more common on other brands' bikes, yet they remain very ownable and undeniably Vroomen-White, in a good way.
That's why this killer deal on a 2023 model caught my eye – it’s got 40% off. Need I say more? The groupset has since been upgraded, but the old one was great and otherwise, it boasts a very stylish spec sheet on a bike that's now at a price point where literally none of your mates will have found or bought something quite so exotic for the same amount of cash.
Cyber Monday shopping tips for the best deals on gravel bikes
Check sizes first
No point falling in love with the crazy paint scheme that just came into your budget if it’s only available in a size XL. Check sizing, if they’ve got yours buy it, if they haven’t move on.
Look for code stacking opportunities:
Voucher codes and discounts for sign ups can add another 10 or 20% reduction to the advertised price, so check what's available when you're comparing headline discounts. We always try and mention them, and weed out the better deals, but it's always worth checking.
Framesets only
Groupsets, wheels, bars are all on sale this Black Friday and Cyber Monday weekend, and whilst we’ve found you some of the best cycling deals and best deals on bikes we can, some parts will be on sale for cheaper than trade price, so you might find you can tier up on the groupset, or get those fancy wheels into a self-build project.
If you’re building with a local mechanic budget for at least $300 dollars labour. Your mechanic has gotta eat!
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