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WhichBike

Updated September 2026

Best gravel bikes under £4,000

Gravel bikes take wide tyres, carry low gears and usually take mudguards and racks. If a meaningful share of your riding leaves the tarmac, this is the category that will not fight you.

We ranked 92 bikes for this list. The order comes from the same engine behind our recommendation quiz — published stack, reach, weight, tyre clearance and gearing, never commission rates. See the method.

Our pick

90%

Carbon gravel bike with 2x12 GRX Di2, carbon wheels, a power meter and 45mm tyres, plus mudguard and rack mounts.

Why it wins

  • 50mm tyre clearance and mudguard mounts for rougher surfaces
  • a gravel bike is the right tool for the riding you described
  • relaxed 1.47 stack-to-reach and 45mm tyres keep you comfortable over long days

The trade-off: you pay a brand premium for it.

Best price found£3,699AtBrand websiteCommissionnone — we earn nothing here
✓ Checked

The rest of the ranking

  1. 2. Cube Nuroad C:62 Pro

    90%

    £1,000 cheaper ✓ Checked

    Carbon gravel bike with mechanical 2x12 GRX, carbon wheels and 45mm tyres; the frame takes 50mm and carries mudguard and rack mounts.

    £2,699 · 8.7kg · 50mm clearance · 23in bottom gear

  2. 3. Trek Checkpoint SL 5 AXS Gen 3

    89%

    Better value ✓ Checked

    Carbon gravel bike with wireless SRAM Apex XPLR AXS, downtube storage, 42mm tyres and rack and mudguard mounts.

    £2,750 · 9.5kg · 50mm clearance · 25in bottom gear

  3. 4. Trek Checkpoint SL 6 AXS Gen 3

    88%

    More comfortable ✓ Checked

    Carbon gravel bike on 1x13 SRAM Rival XPLR AXS with a 10-46 cassette, 42mm tyres and 50mm clearance.

    £3,250 · 9.5kg · 50mm clearance · 23in bottom gear

  4. 5. Cube Nuroad C:62 ONE

    86%

    Cheapest here ✓ Checked

    Carbon gravel bike at 9.2kg with a 40T chainring, 10-51 cassette and mounts for mudguards, racks and a kickstand.

    £1,999 · 9.2kg · 50mm clearance · 21in bottom gear

  5. 6. BMC URS ONE

    84%

    Lowest climbing gear ✓ Checked

    Carbon gravel frame with rack and mudguard mounts, wireless AXS shifting, a 38T ring and a 10-52 cassette on 45mm tyres.

    £3,399 · 9.4kg · 47mm clearance · 20in bottom gear

  6. 7. Marin Headlands 3

    83%

    More comfortable ✓ Checked *

    Carbon gravel bike with wireless SRAM Rival XPLR 13-speed, carbon rims, a dropper post and 45mm tyres.

    £3,799 · 9.4kg · 45mm clearance · 23in bottom gear

  7. 8. Marin Headlands 1

    83%

    £1,200 cheaper ✓ Checked *

    Carbon 1x gravel frame on 45mm tyres, GRX RX610 12-speed with a 42T ring and 10-51 cassette, mudguard and rear carrier mounts.

    £2,499 · 10.0kg · 45mm clearance · 22in bottom gear

This list assumes a typical rider

Yours might not be. Answer seven questions and we will re-rank these against how you actually ride — terrain, distance, and whether you want comfort or speed.

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