Best gravel bike accessories: Upgrade your ride for comfort, speed, enjoyment and more
The best gravel bike accessories are essential for gravel biking. They help keep you running if something goes wrong. They are also useful for punctures and mechanical problems. The products that we rate as the best for each type are: front light, sag wagon, and extra carrying capacity.
Tubeless repair kits are compact and light. Nukeproof Horizon kit is a CO2 cartridge disguised as an inflator. It comes in a range of bright anodized colours. for gravel bikes. For MTB bikes, the best tubeless sealant is wonderful stuff.
Tyre inserts are a good option for gravel bikes. Vittoria Air-liner Gravel is the best tyre insert for road and gravel tyres. It was originally developed for MTB tyres, but there are now versions available for both road tyres and for tyres with tubeless tyres as well.
TPU inner tubes for gravel bikes are lighter and stronger than the traditional butyl tubes. Tubolito tubes are the best choice for a gravel bike. They are cheap and compact. They don't have residual sealant and are twice as tough as standard tubes, but they are expensive.
A mudguard or fender is a good choice for gravel biking. Ass Saver mudguards are cheap and come in a range of colours. They are available in extra wide and standard widths. There is also a front mud guard that fits on the down tube. For more information on gravel bikes, visit the website of the gravel bike company.
The Speedsleev Diego is a bar bag that fits onto the bars and is waterproof. It's available in a small size with 1.2 litres capacity or a large which will carry 2.5 litres. It fits neatly across the bar tops without taking up too much bar real estate.
Hammerhead Karoo 2 is a cycling computer. It's easy to use and has a smartphone-like interface. The only downside is the short battery life. The Karo 2's matte screen is easy and robust mounting system means it's unlikely to go flying off into the bushes.
Exposure Diablo is a compact and light enough to use with a helmet mount and on the bars. Exposure's range of lights are beautifully built and, although pricey, will last for years. It can throw out up to 1800 lumens for an hour, but its output is programmable, so you can tone that down and increase the duration up up until 18 hours.
Portable torque wrench is a good option for gravel bikes. Topeak Nano TorqBar is available with a range of preset torque limiters to cover the majority of bike bolts. It's neat, compact and lightweight.
Sportful Supergiara Layer Vest is a packable gilet. It packs down small into its own breast pocket and takes up less than a jersey pocket when not worn. Sportful's gravel range provides an extra layer for cold descents and stops on your ride and DWR protection from the rain.
The water bottle with a secondary cap is more fiddly to use but it's worth it. The Elite Fly MTB is 30% lighter than a conventional bottle and easy to squeeze with high flow rates. It's dishwasher safe and has an extra cap to keep the nozzle dirt-free.
Best gravel bike accessories are for comfort, speed and enjoyment.
When deciding what to take with you on a ride, it's important to be prepared. Some gravel races stipulate that you carry a first aid kit, a survival blanket and other safety gear. Tell someone where you're going and when you are due back. If you go into the wilderness or mountains, you need to tell someone and check in when returning.
Tubeless repair kit is essential to fix a puncture on gravel rides. Tubolito's inner tubes are easier to carry and more punctured resistant. Take a tyre boot and CO2 canisters to keep the tyre inflated. For more information on the tubeless kit visit Tubeless.
Paul has been riding gravel since he was in his teens. He's been writing about bikes and the associated tech. Paul has adapted his cyclo-cross bike to ride gravel. Paul recommends a bar bag or frame or top tube bag for gravel riding. For more information on gravel cycling, visit the website. for more details on the best gravel bike accessories.
