Hardtail vs. CX vs. singlespeed — what's best on UK gravel?

Three very different bikes for the Cross Prestige Manchester

Published: December 6, 2017 at 3:20 pm

So, you're planning to take on a UK gravel ride, but you're not sure which of your many weird and wonderful bikes you should ride. BikeRadar is here to help.

Three of our most serious cyclists, Reuben, Josh and Joe, took on the Cross Prestige in Manchester on three very different bikes: a conventional 'crosser, a singlespeed hardtail MTB, and a top-of-the-range XC race hardtail with gears.

The Cross Prestige is a chilled-out cyclocross sportive with a real mixture of terrain. Most riders do it on a CX bike, but is that really the best option? Find out how our gang of three got on.

Find out which of our intrepid riders fared best at the Cross Prestige Manchester