When choosing a gravel bike, there are several guidelines regarding features that a gravel bike must have in order to get you the maximum performance. Luckily, you can find all of these features on most modern gravel bikes, including the Trek Checkpoint Gravel Bike lines. So, here are several features to look for on a gravel bike.
Proper disk brakes
Back in the 2000s, most bikes used V brakes as a stopping mechanism. However, the reign of V brakes stopped after the implementation of disk brakes on different kinds of bikes, including gravel bikes. Disk brakes are far more superior than V brakes for various reasons.
For instance, unlike V brakes, disk brakes won’t damage your wheels since brake pads contact happens on an external disk rather than the rim. In addition, disk brakes provide a wide range of wheel clearance setups. This allows you to experiment with different tire widths to suit certain terrains.
Comfortable riding position
When riding a gravel bike on a track, you won’t always ride on smooth gravel roads. Sometimes, you might need to bike on loose gravel or even dirt. For those reasons, having a comfortable riding position is another consideration of gravel bike features.
Luckily, most modern gravel bikes, including the new Trek Checkpoint Gravel Bike are equipped with ride-comforting features. The IsoSpeed feature on the Checkpoint SLR 7 is one of the perfect examples of this feature. This shock-absorbing feature allows you to minimize fatigue due to bumps on rough terrains.
Wide tires
With rough terrain for gravel bikes, you will need wider tires. These tires allow you to have a smooth ride even in rough and bumpy terrain. These kinds of tires also encourage better grip on the loose gravel roads. Luckily Most gravel bikes these days, including the Trek E Gravel Bike, are capable of supporting tires with up to 45 mm of width.
Besides tires, you need to consider the wheel selection as well. For gravel bikes, sturdy and tubeless-ready wheels are preferred, especially if it can accommodate 35 to 45 mm tires.
Additional features
The additional features should be based on how you will use your gravel bikes for. If you like camping and adventure, make sure that you choose a gravel bike that has a lot of mounts for your stuff. Moreover, water bottle/ tool racks are also an important additional feature on a gravel bike. Fortunately, all of those features are available on Trek Checkpoint Gravel Bike lines. So, you don’t have to worry about not having those features on your gravel bike.