Is a gravel bike good on asphalt? Let’s find out on the Stelvio!

How does tire swapping actually work on a gravel bike? Can you ride it with smooth tires, just like a road bike?

My girlfriend had been considering a road or gravel bike for quite some time. Surprisingly, I was the one holding her back, arguing that she should try one first before buying a new bike, as her only experience was with a traditional mountain bike.

So, when the opportunity arose to test a gravel bike, we took it.


After the test, we started looking for a gravel bike because she was convinced she would enjoy it. Poor MTB—it sat unused throughout the entire trial period. The problem, however, was availability; everything was sold out.

We couldn’t find a bike with a price-to-performance ratio as good as CTM’s anywhere else. The Koyuk would have been ideal, especially because she had already tested its geometry and size.

On top of that, we were short on time before a trip to Bormio, where I wanted to show her some of my favorite places.

Preparing the gravel bike before the trip

In the end, I managed to get the exact same bike she had tested. Initially, we didn’t even plan to change the tires; she rode comfortably on the original gravel tires, even on asphalt.

However, I still thought it would be better to buy road tires and swap them for her. 🙂

Test ride on the embankment, then straight into the hills

Lately, I’ve had the most experience with Pirelli tires, so I didn’t overthink it. I bought a P Zero road tire in 28 mm for the Koyuk and a Cinturato gravel tire in 40 mm width. I ride the same model myself, just in a slightly wider version.

We used standard inner tubes because the tires would be swapped regularly, and a tubeless setup would have been more cumbersome.

Bike’s strong performance remained unchanged, even when the climbs stretched to 20 km.

I used a rental Multivan, and we headed out for a test ride. Everything worked exactly as we hoped; on flat terrain, the gravel bike felt like a rocket. Once we arrived in Italy, we chose a smaller climb to Lake Cancano to start with. “Smaller,” in the context of the Bormio area, means 8 km long with an average gradient of 7%.

Pros and cons of a gravel bike on the road

The Koyuk 3 has only a single chainring and 11 cogs at the rear. It was immediately obvious that her easiest gear was more than adequate for this climb. We, on our road bikes, had slightly harder low gears (I rode a 39/34 setup).

The local climbs didn’t require frequent shifting; most of the time, you’re riding in the easiest gear, so the larger gaps between cogs weren’t an issue. In this scenario, it’s 1:0 for gravel.


As mentioned earlier, this CTM has a very comfortable riding position, which suits her perfectly. In fact, her MTB has a more aggressive riding position. If she had been riding a traditional road bike, she definitely wouldn’t have been as comfortable, so the gravel bike scores another point here.

As for climbing, it’s also worth mentioning the weight. An aluminium gravel bike is only slightly heavier than a similarly priced road bike. The difference comes down to details such as wider rims, but it certainly wasn’t significant enough for her to notice or comment on during the climbs. In this comparison, it’s a draw.

What about descents?

On the descents, pedalling wasn’t really part of the equation. The steep downhill sections demanded maximum concentration from a less experienced rider, so the single chainring and easier gearing weren’t an issue because she wasn’t really pedalling downhill.

This could become a limitation for stronger, more experienced cyclists. If riding with dedicated road cyclists, they would likely miss having harder gears. In that case, a partial solution would be a double chainring setup, such as the one found on the Koyuk 2.

GRX brakes are excellent

Earlier, when discussing the modifications to the Koyuk’s stock setup, I forgot to mention that I also replaced the brake rotors. I knew where we were going and what awaited us there.

Even the original, more affordable rotors were perfectly adequate for local riding, but for 20 km descents, I wanted to give the brakes a little extra support. The 160 mm Ultegra rotors performed flawlessly. The levers can also be adjusted for smaller hands, and Shimano GRX groupsets provide excellent braking performance.

Design

Since I’ve been keeping score between gravel and road bikes, I’ll award one point to the road bike for looks. The narrow tires in a gravel frame resemble a temporary spare wheel on an SUV. 🙂 The photos in the gallery clearly show just how much clearance there was around the road tires.

Gavia and Stelvio

After these shared rides and some additional training, the female half of our team set off to tackle the region’s iconic climbs, successfully conquering the legendary ascents at her own pace. The bike’s strong performance remained unchanged, even when the climbs stretched to 20 km.

Occasionally, passers-by would admire the bike, probably unable to imagine trading their carbon road bikes for such a hybrid—especially considering that, for them too, those climbs were all about survival.

Back to reality

After returning home, the CTM was fitted with Cinturato gravel tires again. As a higher-end tire in a larger size than the originals, they performed better off-road, according to their owner.

At this point, I think the MTB will eventually end up sitting unused.

For the sake of objectivity, I should also mention that swapping tires is not a particularly simple task. I can’t imagine anyone wanting to change tires several times a week. For us, it will probably mean riding one type of tire for an extended period and then switching to the other. Alternatively, we may eventually buy a second wheelset.

Only time—and the rider’s desire to switch between surfaces—will tell.

Gravel is the most versatile bike

It was valuable to experience everything firsthand. I’m not sure I would have believed anyone who claimed a gravel bike could be used this way. In our situation, it’s the ideal solution, although where you live and how dedicated you are to cycling also play an important role.

At this point, I think the MTB will eventually end up sitting unused.